


NEW IN THE NEIGHBOURHOOD

by 34_SpaceStreet



Category: Hannibal (TV), Hannibal Lecter Series - All Media Types
Genre: F/F, F/M, Light Choking, M/M, Oblivious Will Graham, Undercover Missions, Undercover as Married, be crimes do gay, fluff mostly, head over heels hannibal, mention of past abuse (parents), this is hannibals dream, winston comes with
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-11-16
Updated: 2021-02-12
Packaged: 2021-03-09 00:35:41
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 10
Words: 29,363
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27115492
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/34_SpaceStreet/pseuds/34_SpaceStreet
Summary: There's a new serial killer in town and this time, they're targeting upper-class homosexual couples. How could Jack Crawford possibly solve that one? By putting his two best profilers in an undercover mission, of course.AU. Undercover Hannigram, but of course, we know where that goes...
Relationships: Alana Bloom & Will Graham, Alana Bloom/Margot Verger, Will Graham & Hannibal Lecter, Will Graham/Hannibal Lecter, hannigram
Comments: 111
Kudos: 298





	1. Day Zero

**Author's Note:**

> What is up! I've been working on this AU for waaay too long and now I'm so excited to publish it!  
> Warning, light spoiler for season two and, in the future chapters, description of violence and... mature pining.  
> I will not tolerate homophobia on this channel so no use of offensive words towards LGBTQ+ or any other atrocities. I'm here to have fun by writing about a cannibal and his soon-to-be boyfriend and that's it. Lol.  
> I don't have a beta so don't be too harsh, but also, if anyone wants to volunteer, I'd be forever grateful.
> 
> Enjoy and please please leave a comment, I'm desperate for validation!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> There's a new serial killer in town and this time, they're targeting upper-class homosexual couples. How could Jack Crawford possibly solve that one? By putting his two best profilers in an undercover mission, of course.  
> AU. Undercover Hannigram, but of course, we know where that goes...

“No! Never! Nah-ah! Nope! This is not happening, Jack. Consider this operation _declined_.”

“Will,” Jack started, waiting patiently for Will to calm himself, “this is our only chance at getting this killer. I know you don't like to go on the field, especially undercover, but-”

Will stopped his manic pacing, even more outraged now. 

“Wha- You… You think this is about me? Jack, you’re proposing to put a barely agent,” he said, pointing himself, “and a complete civilian in a high risk undercover mission! Do you- Do you know how crazy that sounds?”

Jack took a long breath before massaging his temples for the headache Will was giving him. 

“Dr Lecter has done multiple consultant jobs for this department and is completely aware of the risks. You are, by far, our two most efficient profilers. You know it's the best plan we got."

“But this is-”

“He already said yes, Will.” Jack said loudly, trying not to scream. Realizing he was losing his temper, he composed himself again. “So you have two choices: either you join Dr Lecter on this mission or I have to pick someone else, someone whom I don't fully know and whom Lecter doesn't know, someone probably less experimented than you and who-”

“Jack!”

Jack stopped, a smug grin on his face. Will looked at him with dark anger in his eyes, his voice lower than normal. 

“I will only say this once," Will said, pointing at Jack, his eyes filled with rage, "don't you ever use Hannibal to put me on a case again. This is unprofessional and disgraceful.”

Jack was about to laugh, faking his innocence, but when he saw Will almost shaking in rage, he simply nodded, taken aback. 

Now that he got the confirmation he wanted, Will tried to relax, wanting the details of the case he barely knew. But even so, for a reason he didn't understand, he couldn't ignore his ever growing anger. He simply said, leaving:

“Send me the details.”

“Of course,” Jack replied, still in shock. 

“And I can bring a dog there.” Will said right before he left the office so Jack couldn't refuse. 

The head of the department, even though Will had been gone for more than ten minutes, could still feel the tension in the air of his office. He quickly called it a night and, while leaving, left the door open, hoping it wouldn't feel as tense the next day. 


	2. Day One

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> There's a new serial killer in town and this time, they're targeting upper-class homosexual couples. How could Jack Crawford possibly solve that one? By putting his two best profilers in an undercover mission, of course.  
> AU. Undercover Hannigram, but of course, we know where that goes...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's the second chapter already, since the first one was mostly an introduction. Please leave a comment so I know you guys want more!
> 
> P.S: Still looking for a beta ;)

“So we got a serial killer targeting married homosexual couples living in rich neighbourhoods. We can count five couples under his _modus operandi,_ but one is still uncertain and there might be others.” Beverly said, even though she knew both men had read the files. 

“There has been others. The ‘first’ murder was too neat and thought-out for it to be the first one, he's not very meticulous. As for the ‘not sure’ case, it wasn’t him. It wasn’t on his itinerary and it’s obviously the lover who did it.” Will said in one breath, still very nervous about this operation. He barely slept the night before. 

“Whose lover? There’s no mention of-” Beverly tried.

“Their ‘friend’, Karen, who was interviewed. I didn’t even need to watch it, it’s obvious in the script, by the choice of words she uses, that she was sleeping with both of them. But she feels remorse for the killings... You should show her the pictures of the bodies and she’ll probably confess.”

Beverly, confused, looked at Hannibal who was driving, but the man simply shrugged and offered a smile which could only be translated as “He’s probably right”. She then looked back at Will who was dedicating his entire attention to petting and reassuring Winston. She made a note to check on Karen.

“O-kay… Talking about the itinerary of our true killer… We know where he last was and we can pinpoint exactly which neighbourhood he’ll take next, because there’s only one possibility. It was a miracle that there wasn’t any gay couple in this area so, please… while you’re there… spread gayness or whatever, just - and I know you won’t like it, Will - but make it all about the two of you. The entire neighbourhood must know they got some fresh homos. That clear? 'Cause we fuck this up and he might skip this one and we won’t know where he’ll strike next or, worse, he might go underground for some time.”

Hannibal nodded.

“I was thinking we could do a dinner, inviting all our neighbours. I don’t think it’ll take quite much for such people to start gossiping.”

“Is that why you brought so many suitcases? For a big dinner?” Will asked with a bit of a smile.

“Well, yes, but mostly, we need to look like we just moved in. We can’t quite go in there with two shirts and one pair of pants and call it a home.” Hannibal replied, joking.

Will opened his eyes in terror, thinking that Hannibal just named exactly what he brought for himself. Now that he thought of it, he probably packed more things for Winston than for himself.

“Do not worry, Will, you'd have to know by now that I'd insist on managing the home decor. I also thought it best to bring you some additional clothes, for the dinner, mostly.” Hannibal said before Will could say anything, turning a quick second to smile at his friend.

“Aww,” Beverly exclaimed with humour, “look at you guys! You’re already married!”

Hannibal gave a small laugh at her remark but Will was simply flustered and focused even more on his dog who was enjoying the car ride and all the attention. 

“Oh, shit!” Detective Katz almost screamed, suddenly rushing to check her bag. “I almost forgot to give you your wedding rings!”

She then retrieved a small box and gave each man their assigned ring. 

“I, Beverly Katz, absolutely not an ordained minister or a woman of any church, declare you husband and husband.” She said, joking.

Hannibal put it on his finger without a second thought and simply smiled at the detective. Will took the ring but couldn’t seem to put it on his finger yet. He put it in his pocket, telling himself he’d put it on when they would arrive. Not that he thought it was for real or that it had any significance, but the simple fact that he always knew he wouldn’t marry threw him off a bit. He should’ve prepared mentally for this, he told himself. 

But before he could even forget about that problem, Hannibal turned on a certain street and said:

“Well, here we are.”

Beverly was almost gleeful, helping them get the suitcases in their new home (the FBI had moved some furniture in the house the day before so it wouldn’t be completely empty). When they toured all the rooms of the large house, Beverly called a taxi, knowing Jack would want her back at the lab. She was ready to leave when someone knocked at the door. The three of them looked at each other, confused.

Katz answered, a bit on edge, but a lively young woman burst in, a big plate in her arms. 

“Hello, I'm Ifigenia, I live a few houses down and I know this is cliché, but I- hum, I brought you brownies!” She turned to look at the detective Katz. “Bakery is my passion and not having a sweet tooth is my own personal hell. Anyway, enough about me.” She said, laughing, as she gave the heavy plate to Will who barely caught it before it fell. 

“I’m glad to meet new neighbours,” Ifigenia exclaimed as she held a hand to shake. 

Beverly’s eyes looked lost. She still shook the hand presented to her. 

“While it’s nice and all, but I’m just a friend helping with the move.” She said. 

“Oh! But I thought…” Ifigenia whispered as she pointed between Katz and Will. 

“What? Ew!” Beverly exclaimed. “No offense, Graham.”

“Mm… Some taken,” he replied awkwardly. 

Hannibal got closer to Will and pressed a light hand on his lower back, ready to straighten the conversation which bore him to no end. Will tensed and he could feel the contact like a continued burn. He couldn’t think of anything else and he held himself as tight as he could to not step away from the other’s hand. 

“We are your new neighbours, Ms. Iphigenia. Thank you for the dessert.”

And it took the young woman a second. Or more than that... A couple of them, at least, but then her eyes grew wide. 

“Oh my god, I’m so sorry, it’s just we don’t have much… diversity in this part of town. Not anymore. We had the Thompsons and they were the loveliest ladies I’ve ever seen. But it was years ago, I’m- But I’m rambling, I'm sorry, I’ll leave you to your boxes and thanks for… accepting the brownies. Please let me know if you like them!”

And just as quickly as she came in, she was out. Hannibal let go of Will and took the plate from his paralyzed hands. 

“Well, that was weird and creepy. So have fun with that, I guess.” Beverly said as she heard her taxi honk outside. “Good luck and, I know you know this, but Jack made me promise to remind you to always be in character. You’ll never know when the killer will be watching. As soon as you have a suspect, please let us know and we’ll intervene. Also, there’s a button in the kitchen, under the sink, it’ll send us a signal in case of… well… intrusion. But, I know you’ll do great, so… Yeah, you’ll be fine. This is okay. This is great. Just don’t get killed haha! Anyway, I’ll be off! And the neighbours already saw me so they’ll think I’m a friend, just call me if you need anything."

It was quite clear that Beverly was feeling uncertain about leaving Will and Hannibal and was lengthening her stay. After a quick silence, though, she exhaled quickly and said goodbye again.

“And don’t forget to be very very openly homosexual!” She said with a laugh as she opened the door before closing it.

Silence fell on the house and both men simply stood there, not knowing what to really do with themselves. Hannibal looked quite comfortable in this silence but Will was already sweating panic.

“Having second thoughts, Will?” Hannibal said, more stating what Will thought than asking. But Will brushed it off. 

“Our killer doesn’t,” he said as he left the entrance of the house. Everything to leave his thoughts. 

“That’s not what I-“

“I’ll go take a walk with Winston,” Will said, trying to avoid the subject. 

Thankfully, Hannibal knew when to give up. 

“Then I’ll unpack our things and make us some dinner for when you come back. How does it sound?” Hannibal said with a smile.

Will nodded, not looking at him, but at his own hand, the left one, at his ring. He went upstairs, in the bedroom, where he knew Winston’s bag was. The dog followed him happily, going through each room with scrutiny. 

When Will finally found the leash, he meant to get out of the room, but was quickly stopped by Hannibal, looking at him from the doorframe. 

“While I can understand how today might be draining for you,” Hannibal said calmly, “I think in the future, we should take Winston out together. Not only will it be easier for the killer to see us, but it’ll also be… safer.”

At the last word, Will rose his eyes to meet Hannibal’s. What he saw wasn’t necessarily fright, but something in the lines of concern. He then looked away and nodded.

“Of course. And I’ll be quick.” Will said, thinking it would reassure Hannibal.

The blonde left the doorframe with a quiet “thank you”.

Something in Will calmed itself. He felt relief at the sight of Winston’s curiosity and after ten minutes, he was almost completely relaxed. He took the time to tell himself that everything would be okay, that he could protect Hannibal and Winston and that they could catch this killer. In a month or so, all of this would be in the past. Well… hopefully. The killer did take about three weeks between the killings. 

He looked at the houses, all too large and minimalistic for him. The sun was still shining and he was glad he couldn’t look into their home. It sometimes made him spiral, to imagine why would someone put their couch there and what kind of people put this sort of painting on their wall,... He was about to head ‘home’ when a glimpse of light hit his cornea and he saw his reflection in someone’s window. He instantly blacked out. 

He was only brought back when he felt a pressured touch on his neck. With blurry vision and his entire body shaking, Will suddenly cried out. 

“I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I didn’t-“ Will stuttered while crying, lost in a panic he didn't even know the cause of. 

“Will, you have nothing to apologize for, I’m simply relieved your subconscious managed to get you home.” Hannibal said quietly, still holding Will with one strong hand on his arm and the other checking his pulse and temperature. 

Will shook his head, finally looking up. 

“I wasn’t talking to you, I-“ He choked on his breathing. “I saw my father.”

* * *

A glass of water. The case's file in front of him. The scent of dinner. Will was slowly grounding himself. He flipped through the file he didn't even know he took. 

He felt Hannibal's gaze on him and, as he was prepared to end any conversation, knowing the doctor's curiosity could barely be contained, he felt relief when minutes passed and Hannibal said nothing. He continued to cook. And Will felt a little bit more at ease. 

Winston was down at the kitchen's limit, a place from which he could see both Hannibal and Will. Will looked back at the file. Five couples. 10 victims. Half of them barely touched, left in the bed or the bedroom, twisted only by the horror of their last breath and the other half… sat nicely at the table, like a doll. Like a child. He dressed them, cleaned their defensive wounds. He put them there. He cares about what they look like. _He cares_ , Will thought. He has a personal connection to this half of this couple. Could be identification. By societal standards, the half he chose was on the feminine end of the spectrum. They were petite and dressed more feminine with colours. Maybe the killer identified as a woman? Something didn't feel right in this hypothesis… why would they kill them if they identified with them? And why would they kill the couples so separately? He needed to get a message across but it wasn't for the police or the media. This wasn’t purely homophobic. This… is a warning. This is a promise to someone they care about. The couple don't mean anything to them. The message was everything. The threat. 

Hannibal cleared his throat and it was the only warning Will would get. He quickly put the file away and helped the other man put the table. It was once they were properly set, food in front of them, that Hannibal felt the need to address something he knew Will wouldn’t if not pushed.

“We should probably discuss how we shall behave in the following days. I wouldn’t want to cross any of your boundaries and I imagine you wouldn’t either.” Hannibal said with the same sincere yet polite tone he took when he needed to push someone exactly where he needed them: on his side.

Will felt relief when he knew it wasn't about his afternoon episode. He swallowed his bite before admitting:

“To say that I’m not at ease in this situation would be... quite the understatement, but we need to be professional about this so…” He said before completely changing the matter at hand, his awkwardness taking the best of him. “Is there any wine? I feel like this would go so much easier with some wine...”

“Will.” Hannibal stopped, reaching to put his hand on top of Will’s. 

The teacher's heart completely stopped, his throat became dry in a second. They both stayed there for a somewhat long time. Will looking at their hands and Hannibal looking at Will. Hannibal knew he was being sudden, but he needed everything to go as smoothly and quickly as possible.

“I will do everything for you to be comfortable while we catch this killer, Will, but I won’t let you endanger other people and certainly not yourself.” Hannibal whispered seriously before taking back his hand to finish eating his delicious meal. "If this killer finds out we're not who we claim to be, we don't know what he could do."

Will looked at his hand, unmoved, still. Slowly, he took some deep breaths before finishing his dinner as well.

“But there _is_ a small wine cellar in the pantry, it’s one door left to the kitchen.”

Will nodded but still didn’t make any move to go get something. 

“Holding hands, giving hugs and kissing,” Will suddenly exclaimed before he would start another debate in his mind on the matter.

Hannibal looked at him with new interest.

“Those are my ‘allowed’ list,” Will said with a much smaller voice which made Hannibal smile.

“Very well. Then we shall only do those things.”

Will let out a breath, surprised and relieved. He wondered what was Hannibal's 'allowed' list. He then said, with a bit of humor:

“Would I sound like such a prude if I said ‘only one kiss a day’?”

Hannibal let out a small laugh.

“I don't mind marrying a prude,” the doctor said with a smile. 

Will smiled and looked at the other man, yet again relieved to have him here. He nodded, trying to hide his blush. If they weren't there to catch a killer, Will would think this was just a dream. A dream he had more often than he'd like to admit.

“So there it is,” Hannibal said, knowing having a plan would ease Will’s anxiety. “You get out at 8 to get to work. We kiss on the doorsteps so all the family’s doing the same will see us. I stay at home and everyday someone from the team comes as a client to do a debriefing. I’ll put the sign about my practice on the front lawn tomorrow. You come back at about four or five, as you wish. We eat dinner as I tell you what I’ve been briefed about. We then take a short walk, holding hands, taking a different route every day. Coming back, we occupy ourselves until we go to sleep. Or well, at least, that will be the routine, but tomorrow we’ll have to invite our neighbours to dinner so that the day after we make the big event.”

Will stayed there, immersed in information.

“Wait. I go to work? Where? I can’t really go to the Bureau. What if the killer follows me? And I thought I was the one who was supposed to meet the others...”

Hannibal smiled at him, something caring, but also something categorical.

“I pulled some strings so you could be volunteering at a dog’s shelter in town. I know it’ll still be very new but, I thought that it would clear the air and allow yourself to relax. I understand you need some time for yourself and they’re simply happy to have someone to walk and play with the dogs. I thought it could bring a bit of home in all this… unnatural chaos.”

Mouth agape, Will was now definitely looking away from Hannibal’s gaze.

“You… signed me up so I could spend eight hours with dogs everyday during our undercover mission because you thought it would make me more comfortable?” He rephrased, not sure he believed what he heard.

“But if you’d prefer staying-” Hannibal, said, faking his flexibility.

“The door to the left, you said?” Will asked, getting up, wanting to get away as fast as possible, feeling strong emotions building up.

“Why do you feel like you need to drink some alcohol, right now, Will? It surely isn’t to go with the meal, you’ve never seen the difference with or without, much to my disappointment.”

Will let out the tiniest of laughs, biting his lips. His back was facing Hannibal when he said, his voice cracking:

“Because I need to say ‘that is the kindest thing someone has ever done for me’, but I can’t say something so cliché sober.”

He then left to look at the wine cellar… for a good ten minutes. He left a very happy and satisfied Hannibal to get their plates.

* * *

  
  


They then spent the following hours enjoying themselves separately, both reading on the same couch, facing the living room’s window. It actually took Will a solid hour before realizing they were both reading the exact same book. He wanted to ask if it was on purpose, but Hannibal was actually further in the book than him so he shut up and continued reading. 

“A statistic shows that couples enjoy reading the same book so they can talk about it later.” Hannibal said without even looking up from his book. 

Beside that, the silence lingered for several hours, although neither was really concerned by it. From time to time, Will would get up to allow Winston outside. Once, Hannibal even did it himself. 

It was only when Hannibal came out of the shower, right after Will took his, that the silence broke:

“Will?” he started, honestly trying to search for the right words to say, for the patience to ask: “What do you think you’re doing?”

Will looked at him from the living room's couch, a small blanket on his body, confused.

“Don’t worry, I closed the blinds, they won’t see me.” Will said, trying to sound normal, hoping the other man would quit the subject.

“Yes, I see that, but what about the back door, or the windows in the kitchen? Anyone walking there would see you. There’s no way around it, Will, we'll be sleeping in the same bed. I know this isn't ideal for you, but I'd never let you sleep on a couch for such a long time.”

Will got back into a sitting position, still too much in his head to do anything. Winston, already in a sleeping position by the couch’s side, even got up to check on him. While petting him, Will said, closing his eyes:

“We can’t sleep in the same bed, Hannibal, I- I- I sweat and I have nightmares and insomnia and I sweat like a whale and I still sleep walk and-”

“And you think I’d deny a bed to my husband because he sweats and moves? Whale or not, Will Graham, you’re sleeping in our bed.”

The authoritarian tone surprised Will so much that he actually turned to look at Hannibal and that’s when he noticed the man's torso was naked and he was only wearing some silk pants. It then took him some seconds to remember why he didn’t want to go in bed in the first place. It felt wrong. Hannibal didn't know… if he knew, he would never let him in the same bed as him.

“And, besides, we have other bed sheets so you have nothing to worry about.” Hannibal said, closing the subject, leaving to go into the bedroom. 

Will looked at Winston but the betrayer left him suddenly to follow Hannibal. He exhaled loudly before making his way to the bedroom. Mostly, he was happy he remembered to take a shirt _and_ some pants for pyjamas.

Finally beside the bed, he stopped to look at his side.

“Normally, I’d put a towel under the blanket to lessen the damage…” He murmured, cringing at his own words.

“How about we don’t put one tonight and tomorrow we’ll check to see how we can fix this to both our comfort.” He said, already in bed, trying to not sound as excited as he was to have Will all to himself and so closely. This mission really felt like something he should've come up with himself. 

Will nodded but still made no movement.

“I will stay on my side and you’ll stay on yours… I promise I won’t bite,” Hannibal added with a somewhat devilish smile.

Will eventually got under the blanket, but he was so much on the border of the bed that he risked falling at any moment and he was so desperately thinking “please be okay, please don’t sweat, please just sleep”, that it made him even more stressed.

Almost half an hour after they closed the lights, Hannibal broke the silence to whisper:

“Could I possibly try something?”

Which only made Will even more stressed. He almost jumped.

“What do you mean?” He said quickly.

Simply turning to face Will’s side, not really touching him, Hannibal continued:

“It’s been proven that human contact, maintained for more than ten seconds, releases hormones that allow our bodies to relax.”

Will turned so he could face Hannibal in the night. He’d never seen him this way: without his spotless suits and perfectly combed hair. Now that he looked at him, eyes tired, scattered hair and muscled body, he asked himself how could some people have it all. A whale and an adonis in the same bed, he thought, humorless.

“You want to hug me because you think it’ll relax me. Have we ever met?" He said, getting only a quiet smile from Hannibal. "You are placing yourself as some kind of medicated solution. That's not very ethical of you, Dr Lecter.” Will replied sarcastically, trying to make it clear that it was absurd.

“I guess it isn't, but as the circonstances have proven, I'm not really your therapist, William, am I?” Hannibal simply responded. 

"I guess not." Will whispered and smiled in return, because he simply could not not do it, not when Hannibal was like that. He’d known the man for a year now and, as little as he truly knew the doctor, something deep inside him kept wanting more. “Fine. I still think it’s absurd, though. I consider it only for practice,” he said, trying and failing to sound serious. He was so tired anyway.

"For science." Hannibal nodded, even if it was clear he was keeping his humor up so Will would feel more comfortable.

He then looked him in the eyes, trying to be sure Will wouldn’t back away at any moment. But it must have been from his fatigue, because the man let him approach him. Now on his side, Hannibal put one arm around Will’s hip so that his hand rested on his lower back and the other one under his left arm so his hand could rest on his nape. His head was simply on Will’s shoulder, where the man could feel the other’s breathing.

“You can count if you want.” Hannibal said, happily, nose deep into Will’s neck.

Panicked and weirdly breathing, it took a couple of seconds before Will could put his arms around Hannibal and start counting, eyes closed.

“1… 2… 3… 4…. 5…. 6…….. 7…………… 7……. 8….. 9……….. 10.”

And Hannibal simply pulled away to go back on his own side, still kindly smiling. Will eventually opened his eyes and although he didn’t want to admit it, he did feel a bit more relaxed. He looked at Hannibal in the eyes, but quickly looked away when he saw that the other man had closed his, probably very tired. A few minutes later, Hannibal’s breathing became too regular to not be asleep, so Will eventually looked back at him. It felt weird to look at him now, because his always composed face was gone and, his head engraved in his pillow, Hannibal looked… human. 

Will finally fell asleep not much longer after that, listening to the other’s slow breathing and trying to match his.


	3. Day Two

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> There's a new serial killer in town and this time, they're targeting upper-class homosexual couples. How could Jack Crawford possibly solve that one? By putting his two best profilers in an undercover mission, of course.  
> AU. Undercover Hannigram, but of course, we know where that goes...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hewwo!
> 
> Thank you so much for all your comments, they mean the world to me!! I wasn't expecting as much support, but I guess I should've known the Hannibal fandom was as alive as ever! ;)
> 
> Here's your third chapter, please let me know what you think! Have a great weekend!
> 
> PS: Will have beta by the next chapter probably so hang in there :)

“He’ll need food at noon and don’t forget to take him out, please.”

“I would never dare neglect your dogs and face your wrath, Will.” Hannibal said with a smile.

The doctor seemed to quite enjoy himself on this undercover mission. When he woke up that morning, Will found an empty bed but a kitchen full of marvelous treats like sausages and eggs and a sort of salad that Will didn’t recognize but loved. Will was looking forward to eating like he was part of some royal family for the following weeks, but not as much as Hannibal, it appeared, because the man was simply radiant. Already in clothes, he was cooking with some opera to set the mood. When he saw Will arrive from the bedroom, he smiled and poured him a cup of fine coffee. Now that breakfast was over and that Will needed to go, the calm ambiance was replaced by the man's sudden anxiety.

“And don’t give him anything that isn't his food, I'm trying to show him table manners.” Will said, still bumping on “their” furniture. 

“I know, you told me this morning.”

“And-”

“Will? Everything will be fine.” Hannibal stopped him, holding both of Will’s arms. “What you need to concern yourself with is the fact that when you’ll get on those doorsteps, I’m going to lean in and we’re going to kiss like a married couple. My apologies to your prude rule, but we’re also going to kiss before the doorsteps because we are going to practice. They are not going to think of us as married if we do not 'sell it', as Jack would put it.”

Horror was written in Will’s eyes all of a sudden. He forgot about that.

“But- But no one will see us, I mean… Who looks out their windows these days?”

“Everyone, Will, it’s called voyeurism and it’s quite popular. I could send you studies about it if you’d like.”

Will gave him a bitch face for trying to ‘teach’ him something he already knew. He then took a big breath, telling himself that it was not a problem to kiss Hannibal Lecter, that it didn’t mean anything. Kissing is just a body part against another body part-

Nope, he thought as soon as he thought it, that doesn’t help.

“Okay, sure. On the count of three, kissing for three seconds, no tongue.” He said, trying to avoid Hannibal’s smile. “And I’m being professional, not prude.”

“If I recall, those were your words. I can only reflect the version of yourself you give to others, Will.” Hannibal said.

Bitch face number two was on her way to Will’s face when Hannibal started the countdown and stress poured in Will’s veins. Stress... and anticipation.

“1… 2… 3…”

But Hannibal didn’t quite put his lips on Will’s right ahead, he simply leaned in and then waited for Will to open his eyes, his guards suddenly down because of his confusion, to take him by surprise, the cheeky bastard. He simply reached out a little bit more so that, in a small breath, he caught Will’s lips with his own and much to his surprise, Will reacted to it. It never crossed Hannibal’s mind that the other man could kiss or even kiss very very well. He suddenly felt trapped in this delicious domination play and he forgot about everything else. Well… for exactly three seconds that is. Will finally pulled away and Hannibal quickly repressed the groan of annoyance that started in his throat. He was not used to being denied what he wanted. It took everything in him to have the most neutral expression and Will must have been doing the same thing because he was simply looking at him:

“Was that alright? Am I allowed to go pet some dogs now?”

Hannibal got back his smile and nodded. Will opened the door and went outside. There were actually at least three couples doing the exact same thing as them, much to Will’s disgust of this stereotypical way of living. He was about to leave when Hannibal cleared his throat.

“If you wanted practice for practice, you simply had to ask, Will, but I must say, I feel quite used right now,” Hannibal joked, knowing Will didn’t forget on purpose.

“Sorry… darling” Will added, trying not to physically cringe at his own words, while coming back to the doorsteps. He almost started the countdown out loud before realizing how it would look absolutely stupid. 

Once he was close enough, he immediately pressed his lips against Hannibal’s and gave himself in as much as he could, because he knew that in three seconds, the whole thing would be over. He gently crashed his lips against the other's and smiled all throughout. In Hannibal’s response, he could still feel a bit of surprise. For a brief moment, he even held Hannibal's face tenderly, but when he realised it had been more than three seconds, he pulled away quickly. Not even looking at his partner’s face, he made his way to the car (one borrowed from the Bureau) and tried not to look completely in shock. He got out of the driveway and went to the address Hannibal gave him. On his way there, he tried to focus on the road to not think of the tingling feeling on his lips (like a goddamn teenager), but soon enough, his thoughts were captivated by the ring on his finger which was always in his sight somehow. How incredibly surprising that a simple thing such as a ring could resonate a person so clearly. With his eyes on it, nothing could come to mind but the image of Hannibal falling asleep by his side. 

And that’s when Will started to truly get scared by this undercover mission.

* * *

“So, how is Will?” Alana asked, sitting across from Hannibal, as if this was any other therapy. "I know you decided to replace one another in those meetings, was it his idea?"

“I was the one to suggest the dog shelter and he seemed very keen on the suggestion. He's adjusting better than I'd thought to the situation."

Alana nodded, relieved. She still kept herself composed, though, knowing it was better to not reveal too much to Hannibal. 

“And how are-” Alana tried, more by politeness than genuine care. 

“His lack of sleep disruption, last night, was actually quite telling.” Hannibal resumed, face neutral while a form of glee forged in his mind. 

She looked at him, not meaning to play his game. She knew that he knew there had been something between Will and her some time ago and he was simply trying to make her angry. She didn't quite know when this tension started between Hannibal and her, or why it stayed after she made her relationship with Margot public, but she could see behind Hannibal’s innocent eyes. 

“Well, I’m glad to hear he feels comfortable.” Alana said coldly. 

Hannibal smiled. 

"So am I."

Alana tried to not look annoyed.

"Don't you think Will could possibly feel isolated, never seeing anyone from his life beside you?"

"I think that's exactly what he needs." 

Alana became red, shocked by the answer.

"Do you understand how it could affect his dissociation or his basic state of mind?"

"Everything he sees, everyday will be about the case. He is living in a future crime scene. You, Jack and me, we are the case. This street, every neighbour, even the car he drives is a reminder that he is literally living this killer's last murder and he needs to find who it is before he gets killed." Hannibal said very calmly, even if he knew he would never let anyone kill Will. He needed Alana to be on board with the shelter idea. He needed everyone to think it was purely for their favorite profiler's best interest. He saw Alana's opinion shift so he knew it was the time for the _coup de grâce_.

"What I’m giving Will is a different life, one he can associate with security, routine, comfort. Would you take that away from him?"

She swallowed her bitterness and pinched her lips. She knew something wasn't right but she couldn't really make a case of it. For now, Hannibal was right and they both knew it.

“I presume there’s no update on the whereabouts of the killer?” Dr Lecter asked, not letting Alana the time to argue again.

“Hum, no, not yet. We know he left the last neighbourhood, but we won't be able to say when you should expect him. That's why you should always be careful.” Alana added. “Did you need anything? Did Will need anything?”

“Well if anyone could bring him more of his clothes, it would probably be best since he didn't seem too enthusiastic when I showed him what I brought for him.”

Alana looked scared for a second. 

“Will has many qualities but unfortunately for us, he wouldn't be able to sort a perfectly tailored suit from a decrepitating sock.”

Alana smiled for barely a second before nodding and exhaling loudly, getting up. 

“May I ask what you think you’re doing, Dr Bloom?” Hannibal stopped her.

She looked at him, confused. 

“Well there was nothing left to talk about so-”

“Do you expect our meticulous killer to believe I had a session with one of my patients for only twenty minutes? Please sit down, our hour isn't done.”

A cold shiver ran through her body. 

“You really do take this seriously.” She said, not believing it herself. 

“More than you’d imagine.”

* * *

“This is absurd.” Will exclaimed, in front of the mirror. 

“Absurd has nothing to do with it, I’m sure you look lovely,” Hannibal said as if it was nothing, from the kitchen. 

But Will continued to look at himself through his reflection, keeping Hannibal’s words in mind. He wasn't sure about 'lovely'.

“And what do you think?” He then asked Winston who simply tilted his head on the side as if he was confused. 

“Yeah, I’m not sure either.” He whispered again, still playing nervously with his sleeves. 

Hannibal brought him multiple suits (since when did he know his precise measurements?) but this one, apparently, was for the “first impression”. It was mostly a black silk-like suit on a white well-fitted shirt, only the lapels were a strong dark green which matched with his gray eyes (or so Hannibal told him). It wasn’t as flamboyant as Hannibal’s normal sense of style, but it didn't quite feel like “Will” either. He finally gave up, knowing he had nothing better to wear, and went to the kitchen to get his partner’s opinion. 

He almost felt bad for how obvious Hannibal’s reaction was. The man, making his final preparations for the buffet of the next day, simply stopped cutting his spinach, mouth open and eyes, fully dark, all over Will’s body. It took the doctor a solid ten seconds before he could compose himself again. Will looked at the floor, trying to stop his blush and the wave of… he felt coming from the doctor. 

“So that's a ‘yeah, it’ll do’?” Will asked, stressed by the silence between them. He guessed Hannibal had been waiting a long time to see him in something that wasn't a dirty t-shirt and an old pair of jeans.

Hannibal finally met Will’s eyes, surprised by the question. The doctor’s darker eyes seemed to devour every detail of his body and Will was paralysed by this new look on Hannibal, but also by this familiar warmth in his stomach. Will watched Hannibal barely lick his lips when he knew he had to look away. 

“Yes, for now.” He said, smiling, as if nothing happened. 

Will let out a frustrating groan. 

“It's not as if I was the one who chose it.” Will whined, trying to sound light and not deprived at all. He started pulling at his sleeves again, even less comfortable now. “I don't even get why you wear these all the time.”

Hannibal put his spinach in a bowl, elegantly, and then stayed still a couple of seconds, looking at Will with amusement. He couldn’t believe he had him all to himself. The irony of their situation wasn’t lost on Hannibal, of course. Maybe they were waiting for a serial killer, but there was already one in the house. And they let him with Will… What a splendid idea.

“Hannibal, is everything okay? Do I look weird int this or-” Will asked, genuinely concerned, because he couldn’t understand why the doctor would look at him so much.

“Oh, you look dashing, do not worry. I will- I will simply put these here,” he said, amused by the question, putting his spinach in the fridge, “and we will be ready to meet our new neighbours.” 

“Can we bring-” Will started.

“Winston will not be part of this journey… but we will take a walk after supper with him. I’m sure he will understand the wait.” Hannibal said, trying really hard to focus and not look at the other man.

To which Will simply nodded. Five minutes later, they were on a foreign porch, knocking gently at the door. Will was taking deep breaths and Hannibal was simply being his usual self, which was a pure charmer. 

A woman in-between ages answered the door, a big smile on her face. She was richly dressed but Will could sense a bit of melancolia from her and a sickening vibe from the house. He wanted to be elsewhere. Hannibal put his hand on his back, as if he knew what he was thinking. Will closed his eyes for a second, focusing on the pressure of the other's hand, something, a few weeks ago, he could've only imagine.

“Hello?” The woman asked, immediately looking at Hannibal’s hand behind Will.

“Hi, we are so sorry to interrupt. Perhaps this is a bad time? My husband and I just moved in and we were simply so excited to meet our new neighbours. This neighbourhood just seems so amicable.” Hannibal said with his normal, if not a bit faster, voice.

The woman was immediately under the doctor’s spell and smiled at him, genuinely this time, a bit more relaxed.

“Of course, no this is a perfect time, just- Let me get my husband for you, I’m sure he’ll be very pleased to meet both of you. Eugene? Eugene! Our new neighbours are at the door! Eugene?” 

It took another minute before the man, who, for lack of better words, seemed ‘ordinary’, arrived. A slowness for which the woman (Frances, she said she was called) apologized for.

The presentations made, Hannibal invited them politely to their dinner the following night, to which they both promised to go to. Then they said their goodbyes and that was it.

“So… it wasn’t so bad after all, it seems.” Hannibal hinted at Will while they were crossing the street. 

“Letting you do the talking will always be my best strategy,” Will confessed with a smile.

"Don't underestimate yourself, Will, it's unbecoming." Hannibal warned, much to Will's surprise.

When they arrived at their second house, both men were a bit more relaxed. Will even stopped pulling at his sleeves. That is, before he approached the door of house number two. He could feel its energy from outside. He knew this type of tension, he felt it every time he entered a crime scene. Violence had made its way into this house. Will wanted to get away as soon as possible and he looked at Hannibal for some support or backing, but the other man seemed to notice nothing. Hannibal knocked at the door, unaware of Will's panic.

“Just a sec!” A voice screamed from the inside.

And the second lingered for a few minutes. It was then a butler who opened the door, unfazed by the waiting. Will instinctively took two steps back. Hannibal gently gripped Will's forearm, as if to make sure he wouldn't run away, something he was considering at the moment.

“Yes?” The butler said, looking tired. 

Hannibal still smiled. 

“Good evening, sir, we are the new neighbours in front of your beautiful house. We'd like to invite some of our new community to a home dinner tomorrow.” He asked with a tense tone.

The butler blinked twice before his eyes fixed Will like a laser gun.

“And you?”

Will wasn't prepared, but he wasn't an idiot either. 

“This is my husband, sir. We are inviting our neighbours… together.” He managed to say normally. 

The butler blinked twice. Will needed to get away. Right now. He knew what was coming. He could feel the hate in the house. They had to go. 

"I'll go fetch him, then." The butler said, closing the door.

The door now closed in Hannibal's face, the man seemed to repress every violent urge in his body. He didn't even notice when Will got himself out of his hold. 

"We need to go." Will said, not used to being with someone, unsure how to convince him that his fear was always right. 

"We can't." Hannibal simply said, his tone now lower, his posture more impressive. He looked like he was about to fight. 

Will looked at the door and at the windows on the second floor. He could feel it through the walls. The energy from the man living in this house was too much, it was too much for him. He had palpitations, he felt dizzy. 

And the longer it took, the sicker he felt. 

“Do you think we should go? Maybe he forgot-” He tried, about to throw up.

“This house is the size of a motel, my dear William, it takes time to find people in it.” Hannibal answered, unfazed yet colder. He put a hand on Will's shoulder, his fingers digging into soft skin. He felt something bad happening. Which only triggered Will even more. He didn't recognize the Hannibal at his side.

The same man, the butler, arrived at the door, looking paler:

“I'm afraid Mr Dorian can't see you now.”

Hannibal, with a new feral look in his eyes, something dark, something with horns...

"Of course, and we won't take more of your time." Will said in one go, dragging Hannibal out of there. "Hannibal!" He had to scream so the doctor would move from there. 

The butler sighed, closed and locked the door. 

Hiding behind a neighbour's few trees, Will instantly let the other go, incapable of touching him at the moment. He noticed how much he was shaking. Will tried putting his hands behind his back, since he had no pockets, but it was still quite obvious. To a point where Hannibal stopped looking at the previous house to look at him. 

Will only wanted to go back home in Wolftrap. As far away from here.

Hannibal stepped closer to put his hand on his forehead, but Will stepped back into the tree. The doctor didn't seem to understand, but he withdrew. He didn't feel shame, but it was clear he wasn't comfortable at the moment. Then his eyes became clearer, losing its violent edge.

"How do you feel?"

"'How do you feel', really? Like shit, _doctor_ , but thanks."

"I wasn't paying attention, I should've-"

"Don't you dare apologize, it's so fucking patronizing and if I could just stop shaking, but I can't and it's humiliating but it's my own fault, I should've… and but it would have… but you said no and… but no it's me…" He couldn't breath and yet he couldn't stop talking. "It's just me. It's just me. It's just me. I'm… problem. And…"

He wanted to scream.

“You're okay, I'm okay. It's in the past. It's finished, we're fine.” Hannibal whispered.

"I'm not okay, I'm not fine. I'm not okay, I'm not fine. I'm not okay. I'm not okay." Will replied without being able to stop.

"Will, you're having a panic attack, you need to breathe. Not talk, breathe."

He nodded and started to take deep breaths. He felt like he was gonna break in half, so he latched onto Hannibal even if the physical touch itched him raw. And doing so, he realized, he hadn't hugged someone in years. Dogs? Almost everyday. Humans? Almost never. And simply thinking about this, letting his mind slip away, calmed him down a bit. Hannibal passed a gentle hand in his hair, holding him tight. 

He waited all the time Will needed before they continued their way to the last houses. Thankfully, the couple of houses they still had to do weren’t as horrific as the second one and they somehow made it back to their ‘home’ under an hour. 

They ate at the table and they had nothing to talk about. Both were still thinking about it, but they couldn't quite start the subject. 

“Who came today?” Will asked, still lost in his thoughts, but trying to ground himself back. 

“Alana. She had nothing to add that we didn't already know but I asked that she brought more of your clothes so you'd feel more comfortable.”

“Did you ask how were the dogs?” Will quickly asked.

“I'll make sure to ask tomorrow. Sorry, I should've thought of it first,” Hannibal admitted with more remorse than Will thought he would be capable. 

“It's- It's fine. Thank you.”

“If you want to talk about what-”

“No. Thank you for earlier, but I really don't want to talk about it. I'm sorry for how I acted. It wasn't professional and I just got so… Yeah, no, it wasn't professional, so sorry.”

“Never apologize for feeling a certain way. All I wished is that I'd prevented it. I should have listened to you.” Hannibal said.

“No, it's okay. You did good, you… thank you. And don't apologize for keeping your ground. I wish I could be like that. Might have helped me when I was younger… but I don't want to talk about it.” Will quickly said, realizing he already said too much.

So Hannibal nodded. 

“So how were the dogs at the shelter? Did you have fun?”

And Will's face glowed up.

* * *

"What do you mean?" Hannibal asked, leaning in as they were watching a black and white movie (the only kind of movies Hannibal dared to watch). 

"Well your tone. It's very… formal?"

Hannibal took the remote and stopped the movie to look at Will who was on the other end of the sofa.

"This is the first time I'm hearing about this. Do you think I sound cold?"

"I, well, in other circumstances, no, but this is a romantic relationship and you can sound a bit…"

"Cold." Hannibal insisted.

"I would have said 'impersonal', but I don't know if it's worse."

Hannibal frowned, truly confused. How could he have made such a mistake… He knew how to _act_ warm, but he never stopped to think about his voice. 

"Is it because I said you needed to work on human contact? I didn't mean to come across as impolite."

"No, you were right about that. It's just… It's not _what_ you say, it's _how_ you say it." Will told him, his face in his left palm, halfway melting in the sofa. "Say 'thank you, Will'."

"Thank you, Will." Hannibal said with his usual voice.

"See?" Will exclaimed with a laugh.

"No I don’t." Hannibal urged, helpless for once. 

So Will burst out laughing, much to Hannibal's pleasant confusion. Will never thought he'd have to teach someone how to sound 'loving' or 'caring' when they talked. Still, it felt good to teach something to the impeccable Hannibal Lecter.

  
  


* * *

“ _Me amore_?”

Will laughed and shook his head. 

“Darling?”

Will had trouble breathing because he was laughing so hard. 

“Stop! Stop!” He whined painfully.

“One way or another, I will name you romantically, William.” Hannibal friendly threatened him with a smile.

“But those are all bad!” Will exclaimed, tired and feeling more and more comfortable in this foreign bed. 

“Then name me an acceptable title, and I shall use it.” Hannibal breathed with a laugh.

Will thought about it for a second before simply answering:

“Honey.”

“Well it _does_ sound bourgeois.” Hannibal said. “But if you want to be called 'honey’, what should you refer to me?”

And Will looked at him in the eyes. This felt too comfortable, too real. 

“Husband?” 

“How romantic,” the doctor said, barely rolling his eyes. 

“But… it is.” Will insisted, sincere. “It really is. More than anything else, that's what you are to me, that's the concrete bond we share. For eternity… in this mission of course. As characters!”

And something in Hannibal's look softened. He nodded and closed his eyes before saying:

“I like it then. But you're still subject to 'love’ and 'dear’ with 'honey’.”

And Will cringed but mentally accepted his fate. 

Hannibal fell asleep, his back turned to Will. The soft sound drifted the other to sleep.

* * *

Will woke up screaming. Tears fell as soon as he sat up, searching for some breaths. His throat was dry and he could feel his nauseous heart beating. He felt sweat all over his body. He checked his hands for blood. 

In the dead of night, his heavy breathing sounded as loud as a train passing by. His ears hurt. His whole body was shaking. It took him a full minute to remember where he was. He spotted the ring. His breathing slowed down. He looked at his left. Hannibal was still sleeping, on his stomach, his breathing almost mute. 

Will stopped to order his thoughts. He took another t-shirt and, since he didn't have another pair of pyjama pants, took some new boxers and some gym pants. He washed his face in the sink and tried to forget his dream. 

He went back into the bedroom and, thankfully, he did not sweat as much as he thought. He took his part of the sheets and folded them upside down so they could dry sooner while he went downstairs to get himself a glass of water. He felt dizzy. The images of his nightmare didn't leave his mind. His hands bloodied. The silence. No, the scream. 

He saw someone pass by the kitchen's window. 

His breathing sped up again. He swore he saw a shadow move. He walked, hesitant, towards the glass door. 

He took a knife from the counter and looked closer, outside. He put the lights on. 

Nothing. Not even a tree moving. 

He looked for some minutes then turned the lights off and yet still looked. Nothing. He had to remind himself that the killer wouldn't kill them now. He shouldn't even be in the neighbourhood, yet. It must've been a small animal or maybe just the remains of the chaos in his mind. 

He put down the knife. Looked once again out. Made sure every door was locked. Finished his glass and went back upstairs. The bed was almost completely dry. He told himself it was better than most nights. 

“Is everything okay?” A muffled and deeper voice than Hannibal's ordinary one asked. 

“Yes, just a… just a nightmare, sorry to wake you,” Will said, a bit weirded out by the domestic aspect of this conversation. 

“Okay… Will?” Hannibal asked, still with his eyes closed and half asleep. 

“Yes?”

“I'm cold.”

“Why don't you wear a shirt?” Will asked, finding Hannibal in this state quite funny. 

“Too hot,” Hannibal breathed, falling back into unconsciousness.

“Tell me about it,” Will murmured with a tiny laugh. 

“Will?” Hannibal asked again. 

“Yes?”

“I'm cold.”

Will laughed and brought the sheets higher on Hannibal's back. He then started to tuck the other man in before he noticed what he was doing and stopped. Hannibal still had a smile on his face. 

“Thank you,” he said before falling asleep. 

Will looked at him, still a smile on his lips. 

Hannibal was okay, Will told himself. Hannibal was not loosing blood in the middle of a field. 

I did not murder Hannibal Lecter, he thought to himself.


	4. Day Three

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> There's a new serial killer in town and this time, they're targeting upper-class homosexual couples. How could Jack Crawford possibly solve that one? By putting his two best profilers in an undercover mission, of course.  
> AU. Undercover Hannigram, but of course, we know where that goes...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> First thing first, thank you Caitlyn, my beta, for helping me so quickly!  
> Also, thank you everyone who commented or kudoed this! I'm so happy I'm not the only one having fun with this story. Please continue leaving me your thoughts so I know y'all still like where the story goes! ;)  
> Might take a one week break to focus on my finals, but I'll see you next weekend or the next one, for sure!
> 
> Enjoy and take care!
> 
> TW: Use of the word 'queer' in a pejorative way, in the second part of the chapter.

The next morning passed with an ease both men had not expected. Only when they were going to open the door did they stop. Will had his hand on the door when he remembered that they had to kiss once they were outside. 

“Th- thank you for the lunch, Hannibal.” He said, standing awkwardly in the entryway.

“It's my pleasure. But don't forget to come home before 3 to prepare for the big dinner.”

Will looked at the floor. 

“Of course.”

But he didn't open the door. 

“Will?”

But Will said nothing. 

So Hannibal took both his shoulders and made him sit on the ottoman two feet away. He even got on his knees to look at him in the eyes. In a doctory fashion, he looked both his pupils and touched his forehead to check his temperature. 

“You're running hot, are you sure you want to-”

“I'm fine,” Will said, catching his breath.

He tried to get up but Hannibal put a firm hand on his shoulder to make him stay put. Will looked at his hand, his ring, and the strong hold they both had on him.

“Stay here, I'll be back.” Hannibal said with his authoritarian tone. 

“But I need to-”

“I'm a doctor!” Hannibal exclaimed from another room, as if it made him a god. 

“Well, technically, I am too,” Will responded loudly with a bit of humour to hide his discomfort. 

And it only made Hannibal laugh out loud, something Will wasn't expecting but that made him stay put, feeling a bit weak in the knees. 

“Oh, I'm aware of your doctorate, _ Mr _ Graham, I read your thesis on the importance of women in the law enforcement. Not very popular with your council of 10 men, was it?”

“I was so close to- Wait, you read it?”

And it was as if life was simple again. Will's heart stopped having any palpitations, even when Hannibal came back with a cold soaked tissue and put it on his forehead as if he was sick. 

“Of course I did. And I even quoted your chapter on the feminine killing to many of my colleagues working with the police force. Surprising how you were one of the first to bring the idea that a woman could comprehend a woman's mind better by shared experience. Of course, the statistics were a bit old-”

“The proof that no one cares about that precise and yet obviously important fact-” Will added quickly.

“Which you mentioned also in a quite emotional note at the bottom of a page.” Hannibal said with a smile. 

“'Emotional’, that's why they refused it. They said it wasn't 'academic’ enough.” 

“And that is why I especially loved it. You made even the coldest of statistics like the most furious sensation. I remember finishing it and feeling quite interested in your writing style. That was before I met you, of course, and simply understood.” He said as he sat on Will's left.

Will's cheeks felt hotter. 

“Understood what?”

“You care about what you write. Just like you care about everything else. Deeply.” Hannibal added, looking at the other man in the eyes. “Both a remarkable quality and a burden, I suppose.” 

“Why does every conversation turn into a therapy session with you?” Will argued.

“Why do you think that every time I have an interest in your person, it is based on a medical point of view?” Hannibal answered, pained by Will's reaction.

Will didn't know what to say. But he maintained his gaze on the doctor. He finally got up, feeling better but also wanting to be further from this conversation. 

He thanked Hannibal for his care and opened the door. Hannibal followed him. Will turned around and immediately grabbed the man's jaw to steady his avid kiss. Oh, how he waited for this without allowing himself to. 

He counted to five and then it took him two seconds more to really stop. He looked at Hannibal. His pupils were dilated and his cheeks were red.  _ Fuck _ .  _ Fuck _ ,  _ fuck _ ,  _ fuck _ . 

He had to go against every bone in his body to simply turn around and head to the car. 

“Don't forget. Before 3.” Hannibal exclaimed, still a bit dizzy and confused. 

Will nodded without looking and headed to the dog shelter for the day. 

* * *

Hannibal cut the zucchini in fine layers and carefully placed them on the plaque so they wouldn't touch each other while they slowly cooked. 

Jack was in front of him. His face was serious today and he looked as if he was just trying to pick a fight, but Hannibal didn't have the time to worry about that. He had so many things to prepare for the fest. 

“I thought I was supposed to be your patient, Dr Lecter, that was part of the plan." Jack expressed after a few minutes of dry silence. 

“Yes, well, I also need to prepare dinner for all the neighbours as part of the plan and I need to think of what we are going to say and I-”

“Where is Will?” Jack asked, more pissed off than curious. 

Hannibal hesitated to answer. 

“Just… doing some volunteer work. You know. Spraying homosexuality everywhere. We can't just stay at home and expect the killer to-”

“Excuse you! You let him out for the entire day without telling me? And don't serve me that 'its for the plan’ bullshit, I know very well what's going on!”

“You asked me to support-” Hannibal tried, feeling himself get carried away as well.

“I didn't ask for anything! I asked you if you thought Will would be able to go undercover.”

“And I said no!” Hannibal exclaimed, suddenly furious, knife still in his hand. 

“We need him to save lives, doctor!”

“If you'd already made up your mind, then why did you ask me?” He almost screamed at Jack, who did not answer back. “This is a fair and simple question, Jack.”

“But you already know.”

“I do. I just want you to hear yourself say it.” Hannibal told him, looking into his eyes almost in disgust. 

“What happened to us, Hannibal? I thought we were friends.” Jack said, genuinely saddened. 

“Not only are you using a man, destroying him from within because you cannot solve your own cases, but you also manipulate and lie to me now, Jack? You came to me because you knew I wouldn't let Will go with anybody else on this mission. This isn't the work of a friend.”

He was enraged and he wanted to slam the meat beneath his fingers, but it would completely ruin it. He took deep breaths. 

“I think we both know how you're not only here for Will. You're here for yourself too. I offered you, in a way, a gift.” Jack said with a hint of disgust.

“If that's what you consider a gift, Jack, I suggest you never invite me for the holidays.” Hannibal said, trying to shift the conversation.

“Oh, so now we're pretending that you're not in love with Will Graham?”

Hannibal let out the knife from his palm and he could feel rage pouring out of his eyes like the sight of death. Jack would die, that was Hannibal's design, but not yet. He had to shift the conversation. And quickly.

“No, Jack…  _ you _ are pretending that this is a fun vacation while we are stuck in an unfamiliar house, far from our homes, lying all day, waiting for a serial killer to potentially kill one of us. Or maybe both!”

“Oh, while we're on the subject, have you started to only talk undercover, the killer could be here any moment.”

“We're not talking undercover  _ now _ .” Hannibal responded, dry.

“I just want you to not blow this up for us. There's a lot of lives on the line, lives you, especially, could empathize with. It's not every department that would take this case as seriously. A lot of my colleagues suggested I let this go, 'let the queer kill one another in peace'. So, you both should be more serious and-”

“Jack, get out.” The doctor said without even looking at him.

Jack looked baffled but stayed where he was standing. 

“Sorry?”

“I have a lot to prepare and I know what we need to do to make this work. We'll start talking undercover tomorrow.”

“You both don't take this seriously enough. I shouldn't have brought you two together.” Jack said bitterly. 

“Well, too late to back down now, Jack. You got what you wanted. Deal with it.”

Jack, furious, walked towards the door, not saying another word. 

The door closed, Hannibal finally breathed. He let down all his things for a few minutes, trying to relax his body and mind. 

“Winston, dear? Can you please keep me company?”

And so the dog, probably sleeping in the bed upstairs (which was forbidden to do), came down to visit Hannibal in the kitchen. The doctor had never been someone to especially like animals, but the more time he spent with Will's dogs, the more he became fond of them. 

“Thank you, my dear. Oh? You want to watch? This is a secret recipe actually, but you may look if you want. Just don't touch anything, please.”

And Winston waved his tail. 

* * *

“You're sure this is my size? I feel confined.”

“It's because you're wearing something that actually fits you, Will. Now stop moving.” Hannibal said, his movements frantic and his eyes unfocused.

Will looked at him, not sure what to say.

“So Jack was here?"

Hannibal stopped trying to fix Will's shirt and simply backed away, passing a hand on his face. He breathed and nodded, putting an uncomfortable smile on his tight lips.

"Is it that obvious?"

"You're very fond of eye contact, Dr Lecter, and you didn't even meet mine when I dared to myself." Will said, quoting their first meeting.

Hannibal smiled and looked at him in the eyes.

“It's nothing, do not-”

“Another false preacher of honesty and transparency, Hannibal? I know you're better than this." Will said, sitting on the bed.

“I-”

Hannibal didn't know what to say. For a moment, he wasn't even sure what put him in such an awful mood. Was it Jack or was it, maybe, the truth behind what he said? Both?

"Jack means well," Hannibal lied as he sat close to Will, "but I sometimes feel like he doesn't understand the consequences of his choices for the 'greater good’, or why he considers them less important."

"That's very philosophical, now… Do you think your understanding could change him or make you accept him better?"

Hannibal looked in front of him, at the mirror. He looked at Will looking at him.

"No." He whispered, looking at this miracle vision. Will looking at him, kind, open. 

Will pressed an awkward hand on Hannibal's thigh for a couple of seconds.

"Then why should you waste so much energy on something that would, overall, change nothing."

Hannibal was ready to tell him he was right, to settle this like it should be. He only became a bit more honest than he would have normally allowed himself and as he thought about it later, this was a dangerous thing for such a simple sentence.

"But I need to understand everything and everyone."

"Don't try to control people, Hannibal, you'll always be disappointed by the results." Will said, believing deeply in his own words. 

“Not always,” Hannibal whispered as he finally looked back at Will. He didn’t plan on being so forthcoming with Will, but, as always, the professor had his way of changing Hannibal’s plans.

“We need to act as a married couple." Will said after losing himself for a few seconds, trying to change the subject. “How we met and so on. I’ll try being more open to PDA, but you also need to work on your voice. The killer could be in the room tonight.”

"Jack did tell me to always talk in characters. He felt very strongly about us taking it more seriously. Written reports, every action being thought out."

“We don't need to do  _ everything _ Jack tells us,” Will said, bitter.

It felt like music to the doctor’s ears. Hannibal looked at him, analyzing.

“You're not scared of the killer, you never are, so why do you hate being the bait?”

“I don't feel like the killer's bait right now, I feel like Jack's,” Will whispered.

Hannibal was simply satisfied he didn’t feel like  _ his  _ bait.

“Why do you think Jack would put us in such danger?” Hannibal asked. He thought what Will was saying made sense, so he tried to sound more like a friend than a therapist.

Will put his hands on his ears for a brief moment, feeling his heartbeat echoing through his head.

“He's scared of me. He needs me and that's the only reason he keeps me around. And now he keeps you around because he knows you can control me."

“Control you?" Hannibal let out, more dramatic than he intended to. If Hannibal didn't try to control someone, it was Will.

“Appease, I guess, if you prefer,” Will said, suddenly looking at the floor. 

“Well, of course, I prefer! I would never want to control you, Will. Only  _ you _ can make your choices no matter where they lead you: with or without me.”

“You would simply let me go like that?” Will said with a bit of mischief in his voice.

“Never without a fight,” Hannibal replied with a smile, amused by his own humor.

Will smiled before admitting, with his tone as neutral as possible:

“This… domestic life is hitting my mind deeper than I thought it would.”

“Do you experience any type of dissociation?” Hannibal asked in a very doctory way, surprised that Will was experiencing something of this sort so soon.

“No, I'm…” Will hesitated to say it for a few seconds, but Hannibal was so patient and genuinely cared. “I don't feel any ambivalence because most times, I precisely feel like Dr Hannibal Lecter's husband. I- I need to remind myself that it's not true and it's harder and harder and I just…”

“I get it,” Hannibal lied, meaning to help Will. “And I believe it'll be even harder in the following weeks…”

This was part of Hannibal’s plan, but he needed Will to think he was on his side. 

“But,” he continued, “we’ll be there for each other, and Winston is here. Your clothes, your body… These are all inalienable things that can help you ground yourself.”

Of course, Hannibal didn’t need Will to think he was his husband, he needed Will to think, like him, that the only way for them both to survive was to understand one another, to fully embrace one another.

* * *

The dinner, as all Hannibal's parties were, was a complete success, the food was divine and the slow jazz music helped keep the conversations alive. With the help of wine and a few artisanal beers, the evening lasted until way past what should have been responsible. 

Hannibal had been the center of attention, since his charisma was even stronger than his culinary skills. A few women came to Will, thinking they were hilarious, asking how he accomplished to get such a man. At first he didn’t know what to say. To the first woman, he gave a smile and raised his shoulders. To the second one, he said it took less than a year. To the third one, he actually confessed it was Hannibal who had to go through the trouble to get him. She laughed but nodded kindly. Will was a bit shocked at the lack of close-minded people in their neighborhood. After serving the last tray of what Will, much to Hannibal's horror, referred to as 'salsa', the teacher sat on a sofa, alone in the living room with a young woman who barely talked or ate all evening. She and her brother owned the family home a few houses from Will's and Hannibal's. 

She looked at him kindly and Will suddenly remembered her from their first day in the house. It already felt like weeks. But tonight, maybe since she was quiet or because Will's senses were overactive, he could feel how much goodness radiated from her but also how much pain. Something Will could understand. 

"I don't think I quite remember your name, I'm sorry. You're the one who brought us brownies."

"Ifigenia, I know it's not your average 'Maria', but…"

"Like in the greek myth?"

She stopped to look at him, quite surprised. 

"Yes…? Are you an expert on Greece or…?"

"Well no need to be. A little bit of Racine is enough to know about her."

She smiled. She never met someone who knew about the greek character first hand. 

"And yet her point of view is never really shown. I wonder what would've happened if it had been written by a woman. I feel like no feminine writer would've let her die, not for any man or any war."

"Well then," Will said, truly entertained for the first time this evening, "I simply can't wait for your version of the story."

"Oh but I don't write."

"Thinking about writing is the first step in a writer's journey. And you can count on me to read it, it sounds very interesting." He said genuinely, although the young woman just laughed, not believing him. Will suddenly missed teaching. "And it takes a lot to get me interested, just ask Hannibal, I even thought  _ he _ wasn't interesting at first."

She regained herself as if he said something close to her. He could feel shame and confusion coming from her without even looking at her. 

She kept looking at the kitchen to be sure no one was looking or listening. 

"And how did you know?" She said. 

"About what?"

"Your… preferences?"

And Will finally understood what she was talking about and by the awkwardness in her eyes, he knew he wouldn't get much time before she would change the subject. 

"It's not about knowing, it's about accepting. You always know. But to live by it. That's… you realized how poorly you lived all these years. And it's not right. No one should endure this. Everyone has the right to love and be loved."

"I didn't know you were quite the philosopher, Will. Fifi, take your jacket, you had enough wine for today." Her brother came out of nowhere, quiet impatience in his eyes.

"I prefer to think of it as common sense. Will Graham and, sorry, you are?" Will said, trying not to rage on the strict tone of the brother. 

"Heracles. I know, I know, it's more than old-fashioned, but it grows on you."

"No, no, I think it suits you both," Will said, not trusting this young man. 

"I think so too," the young man said with a pause. He looked at the other in the eyes. This was a warning. "Anyway, thank you for this dinner, it was more than exquisite!"

"Well, you're always welcome here," Will said, looking at Ifigenia more than anything. 

The young woman nodded politely and went through the door with her brother. Will felt a tension leave his body too, but he felt suddenly bad, knowing it probably followed Ifigenia instead. 

* * *

The rest of the evening was quite festive and Will achieved to keep his social mask all night. When the last guest went through the front door, even Hannibal sighed. They nodded one to another and started cleaning and taking care of Winston (who was exhausted after so many things happening all in one night). They then made their way to bed, without another word being pronounced. Without even asking the other, they ended up reading in total silence, side by side on the bed. Will was finishing the book and Hannibal was halfway through another one (he finished the other one the day before).

When Hannibal finally closed his book, Will didn't even think and finished his page before closing his as well. Will then pet Winston who was sleeping by his side of the bed and then turned off the lights. He then slided a bit to Hannibal's side and had to retract, remembering none of this was real. 


	5. Day Four

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> There's a new serial killer in town and this time, they're targeting upper-class homosexual couples. How could Jack Crawford possibly solve that one? By putting his two best profilers in an undercover mission, of course.  
> AU. Undercover Hannigram, but of course, we know where that goes...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hewwo!!  
> This is so short, I'm so sorry you guys but finals be hitting different, you know... ha.   
> So anyway, I got this one out, but next chapter will probably be in two weeks, coz it is longer, don't hate me ;)
> 
> Have fun, take care and leave a comment!   
> Thanks again for reading, people, :3

Hannibal was getting ready to welcome detective Katz when he heard an usually early sound of a car parking in his driveway. He went to look but by Winston's reaction, he could already tell who it was. What he didn't know was why. 

Will opened the door dramatically before sighing very loudly. Hannibal had always been the most dramatic person in the room but with Will, the Doctor met his match. 

"They say I can't come everyday! It's against some bullshit rule about worker's rights or something! I don't even work there! I just happen to do things they need to get done." Will whined, looking at Hannibal, but crouched down so Winston could support him. He pet him and gave him a hug. "This is not fair, is it, Winston? No, you know it's not. Smart boy."

But even if Will seemed to express his regret, Hannibal couldn't help but notice how Will seemed… okay. He didn't look overworked or sleep-deprived or dissociated. He looked… almost normal. Something in Hannibal's darker mind found that very unsatisfying, but something much more important in Hannibal's body felt content and relieved by the sight. 

"Well, then, you're just in time to see Beverly. I'm sure she will be pleased to see we're both settled in fine." He said, choosing his words somewhat carefully. 

"Oh… yeah," Will said, remembering that they were supposed to talk in character, especially in the daytime, so close to the door and the windows. 

"But you're okay?" The blonde asked. "About the shelter."

"Oh, yeah, yeah. I'll be there tomorrow, I can wait. It's just, you know…"

"I'm sure it'll be alright, dear."

Will looked at him with a smile and let Winston out from his overwhelming presence, nodding. 

There was a knock at the door and Will opened after almost jumping out of fear. 

But it wasn't Beverly. It was Ifigenia, playing with the bottom of her dress out of nervousness. She looked at the floor mostly. 

"Hum… Hi, it's just, hum… I don't know anyone else around here. Not really and hum… it's gonna sound silly but my brother has the car and hum… I need some turmeric to do a recipe."

Both Will and Hannibal looked at her with open, surprised eyes. Only the breath of the dog could be heard. 

"And I don't… have turmeric," she said, almost whispering. 

"Yes, of course, come in, I'll show you the kitchen," Hannibal said, putting a polite smile back on his lips. 

This was a part of the mission no one had prepared them for: being a neighbour. 

Will stayed where he was but continued to listen to the polite conversation Hannibal and Ifigenia had in the kitchen about some new type of curry. He liked hearing Hannibal talk about food, he could feel the deep passion the man had spill on every careful word he chose.

She finally made her way back, thanking both of them three times and apologizing twice. The door closed, both men looked at each other in disbelief. 

"Was that weird or am I paranoid?" Will asked. 

"You're not paranoid, Will, this young lady is from two pure indian parents, her brother told me. There's no way they don't have turmeric in their own household."

So Will rolled his eyes, deciding that they probably were both paranoid. 

Will made a gesture to tell him it wasn't that bad. Hannibal frowned and asked 'what' in ASL (because of course he'd know that language as well). Will tried to think of how he could put this into a series of discreet moves when there was another knock. 

"What's up, homos?" Beverly almost screamed, coming in with a bright smile. "Will! I thought you were at that dog thing?"

"Not today," he said, a little bit more stressed by the sudden energy she added to the room, but also very glad to see a familiar face. 

"Well, perfect! Because work has been hell, but before I talk, please! How's the neighbourhood? How are things?"

Both of them tried to choose some coded words or to mime something about the mission, but before they could conclude to anything, Beverly exclaimed:

"Oh my god, you're both morons!"

She then looked into her bag to find a pen and the notebook she carried when she needed to write down something for a case. She wrote something before showing them. 

_The FBI would be proud (sarcasm!)_

But both Will and Hannibal had to admit they didn't think of writing things down... So much for being FBI's finest.

Most of their conversation were written from then and they all catched up from what the Bureau knew, to how the dinner with the neighbours was, and from how Will's dogs were, to how both men were adapting to the new house. They talked when they could, thinking that sitting in silence was almost as bad as revealing the true purpose of their presence out loud.

They drank a little bit and spent some time in the backyard. Katz was absolutely glowing and very obviously jealous of the house. She kept being impressed by every little flower, every floorboard and every detail. 

They then decided to take a walk to the nearest dog park so they could all finally talk freely and have a change of scenery. Outside, Will was walking Winston (who seemed quite happy to be surrounded by so many humans out for an adventure) and taking Hannibal's hand. Beverly didn't even give it a second look and pressed some critiqued comments on every house they saw. Hannibal would sometimes add to them. Will thought the whole thing to be a waste of time and a waste of words, but once he let himself be carried by the unimportant conversation, he finally enjoyed himself and felt the simple joy being outside with company could create. 

At the park, Beverly insisted on playing with Winston, but Will thought it was probably to give them some time to talk. He was in fact wrong and he had to recognize it once he saw how into the game Beverly was, and how much enjoyment she gained from it. He honestly didn't remember when he saw her so happy. Then again, they only saw each other on gruesome crime scenes.

Hannibal and Will were sitting on a bench, looking at the spectacle. 

"I keep thinking about… You'd be great in an environment like this, why would you… complicate everything with FBI and murder and all of it? You could just… live like anyone." Will said.

"And you couldn't?" Hannibal said, amused by the idea. 

"Oh, I'm far too unstable to be… this kind of person."

"And why do you suppose I am stable?" Hannibal asked, looking Will in the eyes, honest.

But Will looked at him and smiled, pressing his hand on the other's cheek for a brief moment. 

"In your own way, you are, husband, don't you worry." He whispered as he let go.

"What makes you-"

"You think if I see you in any other way than perfect, then I'll stop using you as a form of support, thinking I'll be a burden on shaky foundation. But you choose your foundation and I'd choose yours even if they're shaky, even if they're crumbling. Using your charisma to hide won't work with me. It's a question of time." Will said, lightly. 

But Hannibal did not take it well and his mask fell off for the first time in years. 

"Time before what?"

"Before I can see you." Will said with a definite smile, looking at him straight in the eyes. 

Beverly came back, laughing that Winston had pooped over a tree. Will got up and brushed Hannibal with his hand. He turned to face him. 

"This is not a threat. This is not a warning. This is a thank you and this is a I'm ready when you are. I know it's your job to focus on me and that it's a mechanism of yours to want to please everyone in every way. It's an instinct, probably. But… It's going to be fine. I'll make sure of it." Will said with the same smile. 

He replaced a bit of Hannibal's hair just because he wanted to and it was the Doctor's turn to be confused. This was too close. Too real. Too beautiful to be true. This was absolutely impossible. Was he being carried away by this absurd play-pretend? He felt his guards building higher. And Will went away to help Katz with the bags he brought. 

Hannibal suddenly felt tired. He wanted to go home. He wanted to be alone. To do what he did on his alone time. To… but not for long. Just some time. And then he could see Will again. Every two days or something. He would like that. Maybe after the mission… After the mission Will wouldn't be the same. And he wouldn't either. But Hannibal couldn't see himself going back to living alone everyday now. Every night. Alone. 

Hannibal looked around him, at the families and proud owners and thought to himself that this was nice… in a way. 

* * *

That night, they watched Reservoir Dogs and to much of Hannibal's confusion (he didn't own a tv and barely went to the cinema), it wasn't about dogs at all. It was just smart enough to keep him interested and vulgar enough to remind him why he didn't watch movies in the first place. He stayed awake until the character admitted being an undercover cop, but as soon as it was said, Hannibal's eyes shut completely and Will's weight and warmth close to him drifted him to sleep. Will only noticed Hannibal sleeping on his shoulder when the movie ended. He had felt him getting closer, but he thought it was for the spectacle: the curtains were open tonight. As if every gay relationship was as publicized as this. 

"Hannibal? Hannibal, the movie ended." He whispered.

Hannibal didn't even move. 

"Hey…" He continued, passing a trembling hand in Hannibal's hair. He had never been so scared of Hannibal in all his life than at this moment: open, accessible, his. The doctor could do whatever he wanted with him at this point, he knew he wouldn't be able to deny him anything. Also, he understood they went too far without boundaries to go back to anything formal. He couldn't even picture a therapy session now, with him. All he could think about was breakfast and walks and watching a movie with his dumb ass falling asleep. Touching his hand. Kissing. But that wasn't them. That was… other people. The fact that Jack didn't suspect how incarnated Will became to people he barely thought of, let alone how he would react to acting like someone else, showed just how his superior didn't understand him. Maybe he was this china cup Hannibal told him about. Maybe he didn't care about breaking it.

Will closed his eyes, tired of fighting anything and tired of beating his own self with compulsive thoughts. He tried to forget the strange warmth coming from his side, pretended it was normal, and soon enough, it was, to him. 

An hour later, Hannibal woke up from an uncomfortable position. He tried to fix himself, but a groan came out of the action and he couldn't understand why. Now, Hannibal would definitely qualify himself as a genius and a more than charismatic man. What he knew, though, was his weakness: sleep and sleepiness. He had no control whatsoever when he was trying to sleep or when he was sleep-deprived (which he avoided seriously after committing three murders in a week that almost lead the FBI (Will) to him). Now, was one of his definitely weak moments. 

"Will? Will, we're on the couch. It's not… Gotta go… to bed."

Will moved and groaned again.

"Beeeed," Hannibal whined, eyes closing every two seconds. "Willllllll."

"What?" Will asked, quite exasperated.

"Bed. We gotta go."

Will shook his head three times and went back to sleep.

"Don't make me use force." Hannibal said, finally getting up, although quite dizzy. 

Will groaned another time and folded himself even smaller to keep his warmth. 

So Hannibal took him, bridal style. Normally, it wouldn't be an effort, but with sleepy Hannibal, everything was. Will opened his eyes quickly enough.

"What are you doing?" He screamed.

"Carrying."

"For fuck's sake-!"

He twisted until he was on his two feet. Hannibal didn't seem to care one way or the other. 

Will tried to stay conscious and aware of the situation.

"Don't you ever talk about this to Beverly or anyone else." Will threatened slowly.

Hannibal looked confused. 

"I don't want to talk, I want to sleep."

Will rolled his eyes and made a move towards the stairs. 

"Then go, no need to… take me with you."

Hannibal sighed as if Will was being the irrational one right now, but said, while moving one stair at a time:

"Of course I do, how am I supposed to sleep if I don't know where you are or how you're doing and- what are you still doing down there?"

"I'm… listening," Will said, not knowing if Hannibal was talking honestly or confused with a dream. 

"William Graham, you have an IQ above 150, you can listen and move! Now, I just said let's go to bed!" 

Will smiled but made a movement that let him know he gave up. He went upstairs with him and even guided Hannibal to the room. 


	6. Day Five

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> There's a new serial killer in town and this time, they're targeting upper-class homosexual couples. How could Jack Crawford possibly solve that one? By putting his two best profilers in an undercover mission, of course.  
> AU. Undercover Hannigram, but of course, we know where that goes...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hewwwo!
> 
> Thank you for bearing with me with my finals! I just finished today! So here's a treat for all of us! 
> 
> TRIGGER WARNING for light smut. And I'll try to post as soon as next friday even if the chapter's not finished yet! Thank you for all your comments they really mean the world and it helps me stay motivated!
> 
> Thanks again to Fallenangelsneverfade, my lovely beta. If you ever have some free time, she also published an Hannigram ff!
> 
> Leave a comment to let me know how you felt about this chapter, I love all your insights! :)

"So, how is your stay here?" Dr Du Maurier asked, smug, waiting for whatever lie Hannibal was gonna throw her way.

Hannibal opened his mouth, before closing it, smiling at Bedelia.

"At orphanages, children will often pair up in order to replace the family they lost or never had, a link as strong as any between siblings."

"Would Will say the same?" She asked, not willing to play with Hannibal's imagery.

"I believe he'd agree that we both have been let down, that Jack does have a tendency to collect strays, people no one else wants or thinks about and that this mission is creating a bond neither of us could and still can't foresee."

"So, in this metaphor, Jack would be the head of the orphanage?" 

"Undoubtedly." Hannibal said.

"And what will you make of his gift?" This earned her a frown from Hannibal, something she quite liked to see on his stoic face. "After all, he got you out of the orphanage, got you a big house,... A friend, maybe a family." Bedelia said, knowing a common serial killer wouldn't be enough for Hannibal to see this mission as less than the perfect scenario.

"A gift, perhaps not, but an opportunity? Even I couldn't deny it."

Dr Du Maurier moved in her seat, knowing the implication of this statement for Will's and everyone else's future. She cleared her throat before changing the subject. 

"An opportunity, maybe to see life without some of your previous occupations: therapy, consulting jobs, and other passions of yours. How are you handling this sudden change of lifestyle?" 

He smiled.

"I believe everything seems just as they were before, actually. I'm obviously still helping with consulting and I still have my therapies, although the patients might not have any other choice but to play the part. I guess I do miss my instruments."

"When does Will come back?" Bedelia asked with a smile she only wore when she was saying something Hannibal wouldn't like. 

"Often five." Hannibal said, trying to swallow what he knew she would add.

"What do you play with in the meantime, Hannibal? It must be quite… boring."

* * *

It was always in the afternoon that Hannibal realized how much free time he actually had. Once he planned meals, played with Winston and finished his therapy session, he reached a stop. That's how he discovered the wonderful art of cleaning. 

In his 'other life', Hannibal didn't have the time to clean, both his office and his home, so he always employed someone to do it. He never really thought about it. But now that he had to do it, or at least some of it, he was growing fonder and fonder of the activity. He would put some classical music, loud enough to be heard in any room of the house and would let himself go from room to room, cleaning every inch of it. If he was honest, it reminded him of cleaning murder scenes, so it was always linked with a sweet memory. 

But today, the perfect notes of Stravinsky were replaced by deep and far moans of pain. It's actually when he heard a swear that he turned off the music. He wasn't scared, that was definitely Will's voice… But it was Will's voice being in pain. 

He quickly got up the stairs and stopped in front of the bathroom's closed door. 

He gently knocked. 

"Will?"

"Uhm… yeah, I'm -fuck!- I'm almost done, sorry."

"Are you okay?"

This was met with a silence. 

"I just… I don't want you to freak out. It's nothing and I just need some help with-"

"This is not comforting in any way," Hannibal warned. 

A second silence dropped before Will opened the door. There were multiple bloodied tissues on the ground and some plasters were awkwardly placed on the bathroom's counters. Will sat back on the closed toilet and looked at the floor. His right hand was red from dried blood and a big gash could be seen on his open palm. 

Hannibal didn't know how to react. He stayed at the door, and the only thing he could think was:

"Are you okay?"

Will nodded.

"It's just… we got a new dog, Gaïa, and she was playing with Mobster, but she wasn't quite picking on his hints to stop and he was gonna- I knew he would snap her and I just didn't think and I tried to make her back away and he snapped me trying to get to her, but it's not his fault, really, I made a rookie mistake and she's being trained to be better and he's just an old bitter dog trying to get some quiet time in the sun. You know, his playing days are over, but Gaïa was just so excited to have a new friend and I was just trying to protect her, I didn't want her to get seriously hurt and… I'm sorry, you probably don't care. It was… stupid. I was stupid and I hurt myself. Could you please help me?"

Hannibal looked at the mess his partner was and slowly smiled and nodded. Nothing, he thought, nothing could be as perfect as this. 

"Of course."

Hannibal spent the next hour cleaning his wound and trying to put a useful bandage on it after, touching as much skin as he could. Will was still talking about the fight, but mostly excusing the dogs involved and explaining why it was natural and quite useful for dogs to warn and possibly bite. They were both looking at their holding hands so intensely, they almost forgot this wasn't supposed to be natural.

"I'm sorry, you probably don't want to listen to me after listening to people all day." Will said with a laugh that wasn't really one. 

Hannibal put Will's hands in both of his and secured his holding. There was something so natural, so warm, that it threw Will off.

"What I listen to in a day's work is nothing to how precious I value every word you tell me," he said, as if it was obvious and something that had been there forever. 

Will's hands started to shake, as he shook his head. Hannibal nodded simply and let go of his now protected hands.

"I'll go make us some dinner," Hannibal said, finding an excuse for Will to get some alone time.

Needless to say Hannibal couldn't afford to be hurt, couldn't stand being denied. This was not the place nor time and Hannibal could not be seen being hurt. He was a rock, he was independent and emotionless. He used people, people couldn't even touch him… technically. 

He was boiling his meat before he would cook it when Will finally came down. He passed a light hand on the other's arm, something barely noticeable for the normal eye but that meant the world to Will, and Hannibal knew it. When he saw Hannibal still focused on his food, he slowly put his other arm to rest his head on the other's shoulder in a sort of back embrace. 

He could see the corner of Hannibal's smile which made him smile in return. 

"What are we making?" Will whispered, close to the other's skin. 

So Hannibal told him. Will didn't understand what he said, as if the doctor was speaking another language, which he probably was. 

"Can I help?" Asked Will, still not moving. 

Hannibal raised an eyebrow in surprise but mostly looked amused. 

"You're already helping, you're keeping me warm."

Will had a small laugh but told him, close to the other's ear:

"You don't need me for that."

"What if I did?" Replied Hannibal, teasing as Will stepped away from him. 

"Then, if ever it happens, I'll have to sacrifice myself for your well-being."

Hannibal smiled.

"You know I might take you up on that?"

"I would never do you the disrespect of using light words. Now, for those mushrooms. How do you want them cut?"

But Hannibal felt like stopping everything and blamed the food for being in his way to simply kiss Will and spend the rest of the day doing so and the rest of the week also. He barely kept his hands to himself. He was so used to kissing him, now, he couldn't understand why he'd have to wait tomorrow morning. He didn't want to, not when Will was there being so…

But he needed to concentrate on his dish. 

And everything was perfect. Beside the awful absolutely mediocre childlike cutting of the mushroom, but even then, Hannibal ate them more than happily. He couldn't remember someone helping him in the kitchen.

He felt something kin to panic, since he didn't know most of the feelings he was feeling. But he felt so euphoric, he let the sweet adrenaline run through his veins. 

He took Will's hand all through their walk and found some comfort there. He kissed him on the cheek when Will said he would go play with Winston. Will didn't complain. He didn't know why, but the professor seemed to be more relaxed than ever after they fixed his wound. His eyes were kind and accepting. Hannibal thought it was beautiful. Something so impossibly beautiful, he'd yearn to see it everyday.

  
  


* * *

The fire was crackling. That's about everything Will could focus on right now. 

After their meal, they both agreed to open a bottle of wine. But one just wasn't quite enough for two people, so they opened a second one. And what was a third one when they already opened two? Will wasn't a lightweight and neither was Hannibal. 

The fire was crackling, sweet waves of warmth caressed both of them and peace and calm made their way into their veins quicker than alcohol. Will was sitting by the fire while Hannibal was enjoying it on the closest sofa.

"So here you are, saving lives apparently." Hannibal said, controlled.

Will laughed, not knowing how to express what he felt for months, knowing he shouldn't say anything. Knowing. Knowing. God, he knew it. 

"Here." Hannibal whispered in a deeper voice, which Will only dreamt of.

Will was on the floor, making his way to Hannibal, which he would never admit although his actions were quite telling. 

"What about your reasons to stay?" Will said.

Will mostly didn't ask for the obvious, but alcohol made him want… other things.

"I wouldn't leave you alone."

"Anything else? I can handle my own."

"What if I'd prefer you didn't." Hannibal said, knowing he'd regret it in the morning. 

"Sometimes, Hannibal, I'll have to do things you don't approve of." Will said, dropping his head on the other's knees.

"I doubt that." Hannibal whispered, his hand tracing the other's throat.

They both stared at each other, knowing what was going on, black pupils meeting others. Hannibal didn't know what to do to escape this feeling 

"What if I told about you." Will whispered, eyes closed, daring.

Hannibal's heart stopped. He felt both exhilarated and dazed by the implications of Will's words.

"Told what?" Hannibal asked, playing the game, his nails digging into the other's skin, much to the other's pleasure. 

"Lovely, charismatic, charming, doctor Lecter. I must be mistaken, there's nothing to be said against you. Right?" Will smiled although blood dropped lightly from his throat.

Hannibal dropped on the floor from his chair, knowing he was as wasted as Will but deciding there was no point denying what he wanted.

"And yet, you seem to want to say something." Hannibal's firm hand made its way to the top of Will's neck, massaging and choking. Hannibal's body was now completely on Will's.

Will smiled and waited. His skin became red and his hips rose without his consent. He couldn't do anything about it. He was Hannibal's toy, but he was excited to be his favorite one. His breathing was loud and difficult but his hands were gently on the doctor's, trusting. His breathing was close to obscene. Hannibal completely forgot about the conversation and closed the distance to kiss Will's red lips. He kissed him deeply with the passion of someone withholding themselves for days. He let out a sigh as Will's tongue made its way between his lips.

Now on the floor, they both were a mess. Hannibal let Will breathe, finally, but attacked his neck with his mouth and a tight grip on both of his wrists. His back on the floor, Will could finally understand how much his world was spinning.

"Wait." He whispered, trying to be sure he was doing a good thing although his instincts were telling him to continue, his body still thrilled by the other's want. 

But Hannibal did stop... Beside one thing. He teased him by rubbing lightly between the other's legs, looking at him in the eyes, waiting for an answer, either way. His mouth agape, he could see Will's sweat, Will's moans, Will's want. He pushed his bulge into the other one's. 

The sound. The sound was divine, Hannibal thought. He could never get bored of Will and this fire and this silence. He could get completely lost.

"Wait, I do want… But I never did this. With a man, I mean." Will managed to say.

"Good." Hannibal grunted, satisfied.

Hannibal's hand made its way to Will's waistband, teasing around Will's cheeks, caressing and clawing his ownership over the other's end. 

Will's neck, his throat exposed by pleasure, Hannibal couldn't get enough. On the floor of their living room, Hannibal decided to ravish the man he had wanted for so long. One finger in.

"Closer, deeper." Was all the lost William could breath, his back curbing under the mix of pain and pleasure.

Two fingers in and Will was lost in moans, much to Hannibal's delight. Will clung tightly on to the other's muscled and sweaty body. Will got closer, suddenly alive by the adrenaline and bit and licked his way to Hannibal's neck and torso, much to the doctor's pleasure. He couldn't even reason with the action, he was lost, taken by his fantasy made true. God, such a pure thing couldn't happen to him.

"Wait, we're friends, we-" Will tried when Hannibal couldn't care less, feeling Will's saliva all over his body running cold. Hannibal pressed his massive boner on the others' cold tights. Will was left breathless, his back yet again arced, brain empty. "Sure, we can also do that. This is fine." He whispered, his words leaving his body without reason. But Hannibal was happy to oblige. Will rose again to give one tender kiss to Hannibal, trying to relax around the other's fingers. 

In front of the fire, the two bodies would collide and rub each other until it hurt. Both breathless, they repeated the pleasureful act until they didn't have the energy to do it or were sober enough to retreat to the bedroom. And yet, they both could remember the feeling… the other's rubbing without a second to think. The urgency. The absolute need. 

Hannibal, his ears full of Will's moans, decided to take a shower, after being sure Will was okay. Neck fully kissed, ass fully squeezed, mouth fully violated.

Half-embarassed, but dead tired, Will made his way to bed. Hannibal, after a hot shower, was more than happy to smell both of their desire on Will's body, the body he desire for more than a year, the skin he now cherished. He fell asleep with a firm, possessive, arm around Will and a smile on his lips. He felt pride when he understood Will was only wearing a pair of boxers. He felt at peace. He felt right. 

* * *

Will woke up cold and breathless. His whole body shivered. Now a reflex, he immediately worried about Hannibal waking up, but he extended his arm and no one was there. He felt lost once again, although the alcohol wore off. He got on his feet, Winston, sleeping for hours at his usual spot, unbothered. He had trouble believing what he thought he remembered from earlier.

Will suddenly felt scared, remembering that they were on a mission, waiting for a serial killer. He needed to get Hannibal. 

His heart was pounding. How could he be so stupid to get intoxicated on a mission, even worse, with Hannibal. He reassured himself by remembering how right it felt. This wasn't just the mission making them crazy. He knew he wasn't the only one dealing with feelings… and now that he thought about it, this would only make this mission even more complicated. 

He made his way downstairs with a gun he always left in his nightstand. His hands shivered on the cold metal. He repressed any emotion or tears meaning to make their way up. 

Making his way downstairs, silently, Will became even more stressed as he saw no signs of Hannibal. 

Then, from the pantry came a fully suited, fully aware Hannibal. From his side, there seemed to be some traces of dark liquid Will couldn't identify in the night.

With a kind smile that relaxed Will, Hannibal, ignoring the gun pointed at him, asked:

"Was it another nightmare?"

With multiple questions in mind, Will still nodded, feeling guilty for some reason. Hannibal came closer and hugged him, breathing deeply in his neck. Will let down the gun on a table in the hallway.

"Hannibal," Will asked, even if he relished in the embrace, "why are you in a suit?"

"I just went to take the garbage out, I couldn't sleep. I didn't want the blood from your dog bite to attract insects, love."

So Will took him closer in their embrace, so relieved Hannibal was okay, and… better, taking care of his mess, because of course he was. But still, something bugged him.

"In a suit?" He asked.

"I know you'd love me to parade in boxers and nude torso, Will, but I do have to admit I'd be a bit shy. And I don't have any other clothes…" 

Will took him in a tighter hug, not believing one word from his mouth. 

"Next time just ask. I'll give you a real pyjama without you having to put your whole get up, okay?"

To which Hannibal nodded, happy to see Will was so much more comfortable with physical contact so quickly. He probably was more wary of how much he, himself, needed it now. 

"Alright." He said, smiling.


	7. Day Six

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> There's a new serial killer in town and this time, they're targeting upper-class homosexual couples. How could Jack Crawford possibly solve that one? By putting his two best profilers in an undercover mission, of course.  
> AU. Undercover Hannigram, but of course, we know where that goes...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Soooo been a while. I have my reasons, of course, but I still feel bad because I wanted to update a lot in the holidays (hope you had a good time btw) and, well, here we are. But at least it's here! Thanks again to Fallenangelsneverfade, my beta, for waiting for me and still correcting my chapter in 48 hours. Truly a miracle worker! 
> 
> This chapter is essential, although it puts the bases for following chapters (aka not much actions), but I'm excited about the next chapter coming! Altho please comment to let me know if you'd appreciate less contemplatives chapters in the future! :)
> 
> Thanks again guys, writing this, in my school break, was the only thing keeping me going! So thanks for all the support and the enthousiasm!!

Will woke up, arms full of a doctor. He was glued to Hannibal’s back like a second pyjama. The bigger man didn’t seem to mind, in fact, Will was surprised to see him still sleeping. Normally, Hannibal would be awake at this hour, already preparing their breakfast, looking fresh as a rose. 

By reflex, Will tried to get away from the other one, uneasy with this amount of touching. He was putting his arms back when he remembered what happened last night. He tried to get away even quicker, but because of the movements and the sudden shiver at his back, Hannibal woke up. The doctor didn’t say a thing, he knew better than to trigger Will more than he was. Some seconds later, Hannibal turned around, eyes still sleepy, and looked at Will, as if he was waiting for something, a reaction. Graham sat down on the mattress, thinking of what to say in the silence of the morning after.

“It wasn’t just the wine and our covers for the mission, was it?” He said.

Hannibal gently shook his head. 

So Will nodded. He thought of what to add but was left with a blank. He shrugged his shoulders.

“Okay.” He finally said, ready to get out of bed, to get out of this house. 

Hannibal catched his wrist before Will could do either. The brunette tried to keep his eyes down, afraid he would reveal too much by looking at Hannibal or, worse, see something he didn’t want in Hannibal’s.

“Denial will not solve this, Will.”

“Of course it won’t.” Will said, harshly, getting back his hand. “I’m just trying to be professional. We got a day to begin, roles to fill.”

“Was that what you thought yesterday or was it what you wish you had thought about?” Hannibal asked, bitter, annoyed by Will’s lack of reaction.

Will’s angry eyes finally met the other’s. Hannibal’s inner darkness was pleased for the first time in weeks. He had to stop himself from smiling to this glorious representation of wrath.

“End of the session, doctor, I’m going back to work, to our farce. You should as well.”

With that, Will got up and took a shirt and pants Hannibal picked for him since day one. If he was going to lose himself in ‘work’, in this mission, he’d do everything right. Hannibal got up, ready for whatever this version of Will was going to throw his way. Between yesterday and this morning, he didn’t know which part made him more excited. 

After a quick shower, Will went down the stairs, smelling like Hannibal’s products, wearing the clothes Hannibal chose for him. Yet, he barely acknowledged Hannibal’s presence. He put his coffee in a traveling mug and got himself an apple.

“You sure you wouldn’t prefer to stay a bit longer so we could-” Hannibal tried, teasing the fire.

“Sure, and maybe we could do a couple’s therapy with Jack, Hannibal. What a great idea!”

“Now, you’re just being rude, Will.” Hannibal warned with a dark sense of satisfaction.

“Then why do you sound so pleased?”

Even Hannibal had to stop for a second. People didn’t pick up on his ulterior motives, normally. Was Will, because of their closeness, become more acute to his emotions? This wasn't part of Hannibal's plan. The bell rang.

Will stopped, mere steps before the door. Hannibal fell silent. The bell rang again. 

Hannibal walked towards the door and soon after, Will followed. Opening the door, Jack seemed confused, both by the sight of Hannibal and Will so close, but also by Will’s clothes which were as fashionable as the doctor’s. 

“I’m here for my appointment. Jack, and you are?” He asked, handing a hand to shake to Will. 

“Will, I’m Hannibal’s husband.” He said, more natural than he thought he was capable of. “But I’ll leave you to it. I need to go to work.” 

While Jack was trying to analyze their every move, Will and Hannibal turned one in front of the other.

“We’ll talk more about it tonight?” Hannibal asked, taking the other’s hand in his.

Will fought against every instinct to look at Jack’s reaction to this and, pushing through, he nodded and brought his free hand to the other’s hair, replacing it. He could feel his heart spinning, his skin electrified. He felt instantly relaxed in this chaos of sensations now familiar. Tracing circles on the other’s nape, Will brought him closer so their foreheads could be pressed against one another. It was the first time that they didn’t kiss, but something more intimate was being played. Will smiled, looking at Hannibal in the eyes. He felt in control. So he let his nails scratch the other’s skin, hidden from Jack’s view. Hannibal’s eyes grew darker and Will let go, a satisfied smirk on his lips. Jack’s shocked breath was like music to Will’s ears. 

* * *

Will was changing the kitten’s water before Leslie could arrive and scorn him for doing their job when Kennedy arrived, looking gleeful. 

“Guess who isn’t here, guess who isn’t here. Francis isn’t here, Francis is not here!” She began to sing, making a happy dance.

Even if he was lost in thoughts, Will did give Kennedy a smile. Francis was, after all, a pain in the ass. 

“Waaaaait. Since when do you look so fresh! Love your new style. Although I doubt the dogs will be considerate towards your new clothes.”

“Hannibal picked them, I just... “ Was he trying to please Hannibal? He thought he was doing the opposite. The sight of him, coming from the pantry in the middle of the night still bugged and haunted him. And that grin in his tone this morning... He didn’t know what to think. The only times where he felt certain was when he was in full control, like this morning. Will looked at his hands, as if he could still feel the other’s hair. What was this feeling, possessiveness or simple misguided anger? His glance stuck on his ring.

“You okay, Graham? I’m not saying you look sad, but even Darko seems more excited about life… and he got his balls removed yesterday.” Kennedy said, trying to spread her happiness.

“Yeah, no, I just didn’t sleep last night.” He said, replacing his glasses. 

“Well I know the dogs are waiting to see you, how about you head there, I’ll finish with the cats. And maybe… we could talk at diner break?”

“Sure, yeah, thank you.” He said, quickly heading to the dog section of the repurposed house. 

So he fed the dogs. Then he brought them in the outside park. He made sure he spent at least five minutes with each dog. He changed their water and brought the older dogs inside for a nap. By that time, it was already noon.

After all the sweat and dirt, he changed his bandage before going to the picnic table outside, the one covered in sunlight. Kennedy must have noticed it was his favorite spot to eat, because she was already there when he arrived. He looked at the dirty bench, then at the mud covering the pan of his pants. Hannibal wouldn’t be too happy about that. So he sat on the dirty bench. 

He always insisted on making his lunches, so he was stuck, as he had been on all the other days, with a ham and mustard sandwich, some carrots and two cookies (made by Hannibal since the doctor couldn’t bear to buy generics from the grocery store). 

“So, how are things? How’s the hubby?” Kennedy asked and laughed when she saw Will’s face of disgust at the word ‘hubby’.

“My husband is fine, thank you.”

“What’s his name again, something old, right?” Kennedy asked, trying to get the conversation started.

“Hannibal, yes. And I don’t know about old, maybe it was very popular in Lithuania that year.”

“Oh… You got yourself a foreign man? And a doctor? What are you, good at cooking and massages or something?”

This earned Will a laugh.

“Actually, he’s the genius in the kitchen. He loves hosting and the dramatics of a five course meal.” Will said, incapable of not smiling.

“Then what’s the problem?” She asked.

“Sorry?” 

“He sounds… more than perfect, so why were you so down this morning?” She asked with honest care in her voice.

Will suddenly knew he wouldn’t be able to brush it off with denial. Also, he couldn’t blow their cover by saying nonsense. 

“It’s different since we moved.” He started, tiptoeing on his words. “I used to be sure about who he was and how we were, but it changed. Must sound obvious, but I don’t know, I’m just confused.”

“Do you not love him anymore?” Kennedy asked, putting her fork down.

“What? No! I didn’t-”

“I know it’s not what you said, but I wanted to make it clear to you. So you could hear yourself say it. That’s your base. One thing you can be certain about.” Even Will put down his sandwich to listen to her. “Look, when I moved in Timothy’s apartment? I was so scared. It felt like being with a stranger, or, at least, a different version of him. I was like ‘you were so kind, who replaced you by this little bitch who cannot leave the goddamn toilet bowl down’, you know? So, yeah, _of course_ he’s not the same when you live under the same roof and _of course_ it feels weird at first.”

  
  


Will nodded. He knew and had thought of all that, but to hear it from someone else, it felt… good. He was a bit surprised that she understood him. Normally, people didn’t.

“But that’s what makes it special. You see him in a light no one else does. I’m not saying you’re not allowed to be sad sometimes, but, damn, you got a man waiting for you at home. Isn’t that beautiful?” She said, moved by her own speech. “Wow, now I gotta call Timothy and tell him I love him and that it’s okay if he wants to paint the bathroom green, you know? I’ll see you later, Graham.” 

Will waved at her, finishing his sandwich slowly. 

After lunch, he let all the dogs out once again and played with the younger ones. He arrived too late this morning to groom or wash them so he thought he’d head home earlier and do it tomorrow before their walk so they could dry in the sun. 

Just as he went out the door, he saw the silhouette of a man, a new employee he never met before. The young man turned around, as if he could feel the other’s look. He smiled and waved at him. Surprised, Will waved back, but quickly walked to his car. Something felt wrong.

* * *

In the midst of making a mess of the kitchen, Will was trying his hardest to put together a dinner for Hannibal and him. The doctor insisted on doing it, as he did since they moved into this house, but Will wasn’t fond of the idea of ‘being taken care of’ as much. He could do things too. He used to make food for himself, why would it be any different? 

Well, now that he had looked at the fridge’s content and the appliances, he thought that everything was different. Most of what they had, Will couldn’t identify, let alone cook. But still, he was trying his best.

Hannibal brought a chair closer to the counters and looked at Will over his book. He firstly bought a notebook to sketch Will cooking, but it was quickly stopped by the subject being against the idea. 

“So what did Jack say?” Will asked quietly, growing anxious by the attention Hannibal was giving to his every move in ‘his’ kitchen.

“Anything more than his scolding, you mean?” Hannibal whispered with a smirk.

“Ha. Ha. Yes, doctor. Anything else?” Will said with a touch of amusement in his eyes.

“Well, they did finish doing the background on everyone in the neighbourhood so we should look for someone trying to make their way in, or someone we don’t know yet.” 

Will nodded, although something felt too easy about that statement.

“And the scolding?” Will asked.

Hannibal stared at Will, he looked at him as if he could understand why he would want to know such a thing.

“More of the same. A great soliloquy on how childish his profilers involved in a life or death mission were. I believe he even said the word ‘juvenile’. Very discourteous.”

“It’s not entirely his fault, he can’t understand and he’s not trying to.” Will murmured as he placed his big plate of pasta in the oven to gratinate.

Hannibal bent over to look at the content of Will’s plate, trying not to show shock.

“Do _you_ think… we’re immature? Yesterday could be… Maybe we aren’t taking this seriously. We could do more. Just right now, we’re not even pretending and _they_ could be listening.” Will added.

“I know we are doing a very acceptable, very remarkable work.” Hannibal said, finally putting his book down. Will looked at him in the eyes, unsure. “We can’t do everything, Will. We’re still people. We didn’t have the training or the time to prepare. I believe the circumstances are considerable on this matter.”

Will was almost mad that Hannibal was right. He wanted to be mad at how they were behaving, at how much work they were actually doing, at their lack of answers… He wanted to be mad at yesterday. Rage was easier than the complex blend of liberation and regret he felt. But the night was falling on their town and, with it, the memories of the previous night emerged. Will still felt how-

“We’re doing exactly what we can do.” Will resumed before he’d get lost in his thoughts.

Hannibal smiled and Will bit down his own. 

“So are we alright?” Hannibal asked.

And knowing there was more to that question, Will nodded. He knew he could deny it all he wanted, playing pretend with Hannibal would only make his feelings heavier. He didn’t know what he needed, but Will thought he’d have to change some things before their cover became their reality in his eyes.

* * *

Will never realized how large Hannibal’s hands were. Never with such clarity, at least. 

He tried to focus on something else than his own thoughts for now, but it only brought him back to Hannibal and his thumb gently going up and down his hand. Winston was walking left and right, missing the limits of the sidewalk because of the thick layer of leaves everywhere. 

Will was feeling bursts of anxiety growing inside of him so he let Hannibal hold Winston. His breathing was shorter, but he couldn’t understand why. He guessed that these things happened. Will’s feet were walking to a strange and arrhythmic beat, so when they decided to promptly stop, he didn’t make much of it. He tried walking again and continued his curious stroll.

Hannibal wasn’t a psychiatrist for nothing and noticed it as soon as it happened. He took a pair of mittens out of his pockets and silently gave them to Will. The other man didn’t look at him in the eyes, he hadn’t done so since their meal, but took them. It was Will who took Hannibal’s hand again, after putting them on.

Hannibal, with a smile, looked around, and realized Will had stopped, just a few seconds ago, right in front of Ifigenia's house. He wondered what, if violence made him run away, could make him stop in front of a house. Leaving this reflexion for another day, Hannibal simply enjoyed this walk, the hand in his and the cold air in his lungs. 

* * *

  
  


Even after their walk and Will’s shower, Hannibal could still feel the anxiety pouring out of the other man. He decided to take a reasonably quick shower to check on Will as soon as possible. He didn’t remember the last time he rushed his night ritual, let alone the last time he did it for someone else than himself.

Stepping out of the steamy bathroom, the house felt ice cold. Hannibal hoped Will had turned on the heat in the bedroom and was comfy under the sheets. Opening the door, Hannibal found his best friend on the floor, shivering, his face in Winston’s neck. 

Needless to say Hannibal had seen Will in bad situations, but this one felt worse. Maybe it was because Hannibal had nothing to do with it, or that he didn’t see it coming, but to see Will’s pale body, hands and feet more blue than pink, his eyes forcefully closed, Hannibal felt his stomach drop.

Moving silently through the room, Hannibal turned on the heater, folded the sheets and pressed a hand on Will’s icy arm. Hannibal gently took him in his arms when he understood Will wouldn’t move by his own and put him on the bed before putting the sheets back on top of him. He battled an idea for a second before looking towards Winston. The poor boy looked at the doctor as if he just stole Will from him. Hannibal let a sigh and tapped the end of Will’s side on the bed. Winston was more than happy to oblige and it seemed to relax Will a bit. Finally, Hannibal went to his side, and, finally lying in bed, he opened a book. He started to read quietly out loud, something he used to do to Mischa, he just remembered. Hannibal didn’t say a thing when he felt the cold presence of Will’s hand make their way around his waist, just as he didn’t say a thing when he felt the other’s eased breathing on his shoulder. He simply relished in the soothing feeling of delight. 

* * *

Will dreamed of a thick forest. He felt like he was running in circles for hours, trying to catch the speed of the creature ahead of him. Gun on his shoulder, his eyes on the hooves’ prints in the snow, he felt a peace of mind he could only achieve in dreams. 

Even when he heard something move behind him, he stayed there, calm. His eyes went to the traces in front of him and, as he looked at his own, behind him, he found out they were identical to the stag’s. He turned completely, now understanding he would never find the creature he seeked because it had already found him.

Behind him, in the clear light of a winter’s moon, stood a deep black tall stag, the one made of feathers he grew to know. And in the stag’s eyes, like a mirror lighted by stars, was another of the same creature.


	8. Day Fourteen

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> There's a new serial killer in town and this time, they're targeting upper-class homosexual couples. How could Jack Crawford possibly solve that one? By putting his two best profilers in an undercover mission, of course.  
> AU. Undercover Hannigram, but of course, we know where that goes...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Coming in quick with the help of my beta, the wonderful Fallenangelsneverfade (a fellow AO3 writer, so go show some love if you can)! 
> 
> This is a quick chapter but I do have a soft spot for it! Hope you like it as well! 
> 
> Take care of yourselves and don't forget to drink water!

"You seem displeased." Hannibal said, squeezed in Leslie's tiny bathroom with Will. 

"'Displeased', how perceptive, doctor." Will exclaimed, pushing Hannibal away from him in the small space. "Might I suggest introspection while you're still experiencing this genius strike?" Will washed his face with cold water.

"Why would you put any blame on me?" Hannibal said, getting closer, putting an arm on the other's shoulder.

"Hum, maybe because it lessens the blame on myself and directs the rage I feel inside on something I find constructive, Hannibal." Will said, looking at Hannibal in the eyes, the way he did when he was mad about something.

"You still have some eyeliner-" Hannibal said, letting go, unable to feel guilty.

"I know!" Will exclaimed, returning to the sink to try and wipe the rest of the makeup.

Even if he respected the other man deeply, it was hard for Hannibal to take any word Will said seriously in this costume. 

* * *

_Five days before..._

Will had forgotten his lunch that day and, as said in a quite excited phone call, Hannibal was going to the shelter to bring it to him and invite himself to join him. Will did try to stop him, since Hannibal would need a taxi to both get out and come back to the house. As it was easily concluded, Hannibal would be there no matter what.

Will was growing nervous as the diner break was getting closer. He didn't like it when different parts of his life mixed… even in this fake life. So he was waiting by the entryway. Since there was no one that day, he saw the taxi arrive a mile away. 

"What are you, four?" Francis began to say once he saw Will wait dutifully at the door. "Is mommy bringing you your lunch?"

"Quite sad that you can only imagine a deep adult relationship as one between a mother and a child. You're 40, Francis, get a friend." Will said between his teeth since he was smiling at Hannibal coming his way. 

"Hi, honey." Hannibal said, leaning in to give a quick peck on Will's lips and give him his lunchbox.

"Hello, husband." Will said, smiling so hard he forgot where he was or why he was anxious in the first place. This seemed so blissfully normal.

Francis groaned and quickly walked away, much to Hannibal's confusion.

"Is he a coworker?"

"Unfortunately yes, but he only works mornings so we're good. Want to come inside?" Will asked before he could come to his senses.

"Of course." Hannibal smiled with a dash of pride in his eyes.

Will tightened his grip on his lunchbox.

The tour was quite simple although Will insisted on identifying every dog for Hannibal, with a few chosen characteristics. Hannibal was mostly enjoying how happy Will seemed. Then, going at the picnic table, they both eased into their normal conversation, something Will never thought he'd have with Hannibal Lecter. 

The doctor really outdid himself since he had been firm on doing both their lunches. Will was giving much deserved applause to Hannibal when Leslie made their way to their table. 

"Howdy, guys, so sorry to interrupt, can I sit here? Eating alone in the staff room felt a bit sad. Oh wow, did you order something from a restaurant?" Leslie said, finally looking at Will and Hannibal's meal.

So Hannibal was instantly charmed. They spent some time talking, Hannibal was excited to meet another of Will's coworkers and Will was simply happy to have him there and still have a quiet lunch (Hannibal did most of the talking).

"Wow, I kinda feel underqualified to talk to someone with multiple doctorates. I don't have any big achievements like that unless you count feeding the cats and ranking top 100 in the country at Halo two years ago." They laughed.

"'Halo' is…" Hannibal asked.

"Oh it's a video game. Might sound silly but I made lots of friends that year so." 

"Another big achievement, then." Hannibal smiled.

"Talking about friends," Leslie started and Will's heart stopped as if he knew what was coming, "Halloween is this weekend and I got some friends coming. Not a lot, but it's costumes only. Although with your suits you could just come as 007." They laughed and Will wondered if Leslie was flirting with his husband.

Nevertheless, Hannibal laughed and, ignoring Will's death glare, he accepted their invitation. Hannibal could never miss a good party.

"Nice! I'm so happy! I'll see you then. And it was a real pleasure meeting you. Will often talks about you but I gotta say you lived up to the hype." Leslie said, leaving them.

Will didn't say a word after that. Or after his shift. Or while they were eating super. Or on their walk. Actually, they were in bed when he just couldn't take it anymore.

"'We'd be delighted'? Are you- Do you know who I am?" Will exclaimed, turning back to confront Hannibal who was still reading.

"Enough to have seen this moment coming." Hannibal whispered.

"Do you know how I work? What I like?" Will continued.

"Well I, for one, enjoy parties and love to make you experiment new things." Hannibal said, closing his book to look at Will with a smirk. "Leslie seemed nice and you seemed to enjoy their presence, who says you wouldn't like their party?"

Will faked to think about it.

"Yes, you know what, I think putting on a costume and pretending to be someone I'm not is something I've been lacking recently."

It still earned a smile on Hannibal's sleepy face. He put a warm hand on Will's.

"Are you really mad at me?"

"Yes, Hannibal, believe it or not, I'm emotional about-"

"One of your many qualities." Hannibal interrupted to say, trying to win Will by flattery.

"If I slapped you in the face right now, would you still call it a quality?" 

"You're right." Hannibal said, making Will win for a second. "I'd probably call it kinky instead."

Will's soul left his body for a few seconds before he could laugh at Hannibal's answer. The doctor took it as a win and opened his book to continue his reading.

Hours later, Will was at peace with his decision. Hannibal had been locked up in their house, unable to be as sociable as before and, between the food and the support, he did owe him a great deal. So he was alright with this decision. That being said, the one decision that took away any potential sleep was the one of their costumes. He didn't have enough time to think about two costumes and get them so close to Halloween. 

It was the middle of the night when Hannibal turned around to find Will, eyes wide, looking at the ceiling. In his fuggy mind, Hannibal simply came closer and started counting. 

"1… 2… 3… 4………. 6…" He mumbled before falling asleep once again. 

Will didn't know what to do, although he was touched by Hannibal's endless care. He decided not to get out of Hannibal's arms, "in case it would wake him up". 

Will could hear his nervous breathing in the silence of the night, but his body quickly succumbed to the warm realisation of something he had wished for every night.

* * *

_Now…_

Hannibal chose the costumes first. Much to his chagrin, Will couldn't possibly agree. 

"This isn't age appropriate. Leslie and their friends won't know who Achilles and Patroclus are and they certainly won't know what they looked like." 

"Name me one gayest couple's costume, Will, one!" Hannibal said, overly confident.

"Let's just be grateful I'm here." Will said with a sigh, trying to hide how adorable Hannibal's proposition was, in a way.

So Will, regardless of all Hannibal's resentment, thought it best to use something more… modern. Or, at least, geekier. 

Will actually watched a lot of tv shows and movies in his spare time, since it was an easy way to unload from his gruesome day job. The answer to their problem wasn't as complex as it once seemed.

It didn't take an hour for Will to convince Hannibal. His speech might have been all over the place, but Hannibal couldn't resist Will being so headlessly passionate about something. 

And that's how Will and Hannibal ended up in Leslie's bathroom, breathing out glitter as Gotham's famous Penguin and Riddler. Will was trying to wipe his heavy eyeliner and the purple glitter he so wisely decided to put on his face. He was wearing a deep mauve suit with an umbrella as a cane and his hair was held on the side by gel. Hannibal was the Riddler, of course, and was wearing an elegant green three piece suit. He had a slim can and a bowler hat (much to Will's amusement, since it was way too small for Hannibal's head). 

"I thought you liked the costumes." Hannibal said, seeing how Will couldn't wait to get out of his.

"But not coming here! I- I fucking hate this. I- Who are these people and what is this place and I'm lost and _I'm lost_ , Hannibal, I don't know who or where I am."

Hannibal took him in his arms, even if he worried about mascara running on his suit. This was a reflex he started to worry about, this need to comfort Will without thinking what was best for him first. By reflex too, Will pushed himself out of Hannibal's embrace before understanding what was happening and quickly come back into Hannibal's arms. It took him ten seconds before he denied himself the help again and, this time, sat on the tub's edge to be sure he wouldn't be running to Hannibal again for reassurance. He was a grown adult!

Hannibal kneel down in front of him and took one of his shaky hands in his. 

"This isn't my kind of party, would you like to go home?" Hannibal said.

Will nodded in shame.

"Thank you for trying, honey." Hannibal whispered, kissing the top of Will's head as he stood up again.

Winston was more than happy to see them arrive early. Will took him outside to play and pet him for a bit in silence while Hannibal was changing himself and folding the laundry he put in the dryer before they went out. When Will came back inside, he helped him finish and then headed for a shower and a change of clothes. No words were exchanged, but it was only because they didn't need to be. They didn't have to play pretend either, they had nothing to hide. They just looked like a couple. The confusion between reality and fiction was something Hannibal expected from Will, not from himself. Or were they so deep in this domestic life that the fiction became reality? 

"I'm not made for this life." Will whispered once they were in bed that night. "I can't just… go to people's houses, be a party host or enjoy neighborhood gossip at the park. That's not me."

"It is called a role for a reason, Will. And I will remind you that I'm playing one as well."

"Of course, but you're a natural. I mean, of course you are! You're perfect at everything!"

"If you truly knew me, you'd know how much I respect and envy you." Hannibal said before he saw Will frown. Hannibal looked right in the other's eyes. "I might be more skilled in the social department, but there's nothing that cannot meet your gaze. They didn't know it, but tonight, you had them all in the palm of your hand. You could've crushed them only with your mind if you'd wished. But you are so full of empathy, dear Will, and love and fear, you do not act upon it and you let them be, unaware they just passed a divine judgment."

"That's dramatic, even from you." Will said, trying not to blush.

"I'm simply being honest. Look at me in the eyes." Hannibal asked, pressing a hand on Will's chin to raise it so their eyes would meet. "You know when someone is lying. And I'm not."

"You never lie." Will said, trying not to focus on the burning touch.

"Not with you, never."

"There would be no point."

"Maybe I'd simply like for you to trust me." Hannibal said, fighting his own urges to get closer in a bed that felt suddenly so large. "Why are you looking away, Will?"

"Oh so now we're playing the 'how does that make you feel game', huh?" Will laughed, licking his lips.

"I don't know, how would that make you feel?" Hannibal replied, smug. 

Will let out a genuine laugh before pushing Hannibal on his back, suddenly on top of him. Even stress didn't make its way to Will's head, he knew exactly what he wanted. So he kissed Hannibal because it was the simplest thing, the easiest choice. And he'd make it over and over again.


	9. Day Twenty-Six

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> There's a new serial killer in town and this time, they're targeting upper-class homosexual couples. How could Jack Crawford possibly solve that one? By putting his two best profilers in an undercover mission, of course.  
> AU. Undercover Hannigram, but of course, we know where that goes...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Guess who's back! Back again! This nerd's back, tell a friend!  
> That's right, I'm back with a brand new shiny chapter, thanks to my last days of vacation and my dear beta Fallenangelsneverfade! This one is simple and somehow short, but I like it and where it leads. More hannigram interactions and *fluff* next chapter!! 
> 
> TW for light choking (sowwy about it) and light... adult content ;) 
> 
> Ps I'd like to know your opinion on smut: more, less, it's good like that... I'd love to know, and also if you liked this chapter, of course!

It was Will's free day so Hannibal insisted on giving him the house to himself for a few hours. He wasn't really worried about the killer, since he killed at night and always when the couple was together. Also, Bedelia was scheduled for the day and Hannibal decided to take her out in a nice restaurant. 

She was apprehensive at first, but the public place put her at ease. Hannibal didn't like his sessions to be so casual, but he knew this was better than with Will in the other room.

"It's been three weeks. Have you begun to feel restless from… old habits? Your previous routine was quite strict, I imagine." Dr Du Maurier said, sipping on a red.

"It was, yes." 

"Don't you miss it?"

"I guess I would if I ever thought I wouldn't go back to it eventually."

"And how long do you think that will be? You said it yourself, there's no way to predict how this mission will change you or your relationship with-"

"As long as need be... I do not work in obsessive ways." Hannibal replied with a forced smile.

"Yet one could argue you take friendships quite obsessively. One in particular." She said, barely looking at him, knowing it would rub him the wrong way.

"I thought you didn't want to talk about Will." Hannibal said, remembering their last session when Hannibal was accused of 'talking for and about Will more than himself'.

"Yes." Dr Du Maurier said, replacing the sleeves of her white dress. "I simply wanted to point out that, unconsciously, maybe you prioritized. Maybe you saw this relationship as something more important than a previous… tradition. For better or for worse."

"If you thought it was for the worse, Bedelia, you wouldn't be so vague about it." Hannibal replied, lips pinched, the sweet savour of his truffles lost in their sour mind games. 

"Maybe. I simply worry about your object of fixation, whatever it might be at the moment." 

"Will is not an object." Hannibal said, more passionately than he thought himself capable. A few heads turned around for mere seconds.

"Figure of speech, but you knew that, you were simply trying to distract me from my point."

"Or making one of my own. Will isn't a piece in a game, he's not there for my amusement. Finally, someone is interesting enough by themselves. I do not feel the need to…"

"Manipulate?"

"That's quite vulgar." Hannibal stopped her.

"Doesn't mean it's not accurate."

"Interfere is the word I would prefer." He said and Bedelia nodded, as if to accept his conditions. 

"And your need to interfere with others, is it as strong with Will around?"

Hannibal didn't breathe a word. He finished his whole glass of wine before he talked again.

"It's too early to say."

"It's been a month, Hannibal."

"And you bore me with your naive thinking. Will isn’t the cure you think him to be."

"Do you think he would like to be? Would you?"

"Will doesn't know." Hannibal said, frowning. 

“Or maybe he doesn’t want you to know that he knows.” She said, still baffled by FBI’s greatest's inability to see past the human mask Hannibal wore.

Hannibal did remember the night by the fire. He did remember how Will’s lips tasted like the cheap white wine he insisted on trying. He remembered Will, head on his knees, telling him that he ‘could tell about him’. Hannibal was a man of many secrets, but he made a point to never expose himself to others. What could Will have seen? How far from the truth was he? How far would he be tomorrow or the day after?

“Looks like you’re the one interfering, Bedelia.” He pointed out after a few seconds to himself.

“Why do you reject the idea that Will could know?”

“Will is a boy scout, a very righteous man in many aspects, scared to fall too close to the gray areas of morality.”

“Can’t a boy scout’s honor be towards someone?”

“You were scared for him and yet you want him closer to me.” Hannibal said, laughing at the irony.

She smiled in return, letting Hannibal turn this conversation into a joke. She knew a pun wasn’t far in her patient’s mind. 

“Why do you feel threatened by your feelings for Will Graham?” She said casually, coy. 

Hannibal looked at the table, eyes wide, both disappointed and relieved there weren’t any utensils that could be used as weapons right now.

“Isn’t change one of the human’s primal fears?”

“You’re worried he will change you?” She said, intrigued.

“I think that if he ever saw me, it could change my own perception of myself, yes.”

“Will that be when the killer comes to your false home? How will you control yourself, then? Will you kill in front of Will? It might just be what he needs to make him see.”

He meant to say that he had everything under control, like he always did, but what came out of his mouth wasn’t even close.

“I won’t let anything happen to him, he is my responsibility.” He said.

Bedelia smiled again, as if she’d just trapped Hannibal exactly where she wanted him.

“Then, I suppose, we'll both have to wait to know how your boy scout reacts to such a sight.” 

* * *

Once he was out to walk the dog, I easily got inside by the back door. No one was home. Their house smelled of fresh coffee and a mix between dog and citrus, probably from the cleaning agent since the place was so damn clean. 

I had gloves on, of course, and their back door was unlocked. They always are. 

Their floor doesn't make any sound. That's good to know. I also map the place in my mind so I know the place like mine. There's no room for error. 

Like always when I first look at candidates' homes, I leave the bedroom for last. I don't believe in sins but this is a place of deep and unchained evil. This is where I will leave one of them forever.

I come back through the kitchen to get to the backyard. I look at the table. This is where I will leave the other one. The perfect one.

* * *

It took Will two weeks to admit that he brought a chess game. Hannibal was thrilled about the idea, but Will was more worried that it would bring the competitive side of him. But he ran out of books to read, so he had nothing to do. He even read Hannibal's books or, at least, the ones that weren't in another language. 

So a game of chess was now part of their routine and, most of the time, just like today, it was gladly accompanied by a glass of wine.

Looking at the board, Will could feel that Hannibal was more distant, lost in thoughts. His strategy was acceptable at best, but Will didn't let that fool him. He knew, just as reading the opponent was part of his strategy, bluff could be a part of Hannibal's. Will was about to finish the game, his next moves already planned in his mind. 

But that's when Winston got up and yelped rather furiously, nose deep into the backdoor. It alerted both men and they quickly went towards the door. Will opened it and was the first one to step outside, followed by Winston. His senses on high alert, he felt naked without any kind of weapon in hand. 

Hannibal looked all around the backyard and gently put a hand on Will's hips to place him behind him. Both men trying to protect the other, they stopped searching to look at each other. Winston went back inside, satisfied to see that nothing was out of the ordinary. The sun hadn't even set yet.

Hannibal and Will stayed there a minute more. Will wanted Hannibal to understand that he was the one protecting him. He was almost FBI and he probably was the reason why Hannibal was there in the first place. Hannibal wished Will could understand that there was no point in appearing tough. He knew Will, but it was his final and categorical choice to protect him on this mission.

Hannibal's hand didn't leave Will's hips, just as Will's hand didn't leave Hannibal's shoulder, both trying to shield the other one of a menace long passed. 

In their own backyard, two men pressed a solid yet warm touch on each other, hot fuggy breaths in the cold evening. 

"We should get back inside." Will whispered.

"We don't have coats on." Hannibal nodded.

"We don't."

And yet, Will made no movement to get out. A few moments of stillness and Hannibal was smiling at Will's stubbornness. As always, Will automatically looked at his eyes, which, when Hannibal was amused, shone brighter than at any other moment. Hannibal finally moved his hand, understanding that Will needed to be the last to come in. He held the door for Will who thanked him. 

The door closed, Will put a hand on Hannibal, as if attracted like a magnet and he pressed him on the door. He got closer to whisper in the other's ear.

"Maybe he's here. It's been three weeks." Will said, noting the average time it took the killer between two kills.

"Then maybe we should stay close." Hannibal said with a smile.

Will rolled his eyes. Hannibal was making this harder for him. With a sigh, Will let down his head on Hannibal's shoulder. He took two slow breaths, just like Hannibal showed him, before going back to the living room, to their game.

"Are you scared?" Hannibal asked, trying to hide his excitement.

"I'd be stupid not to. Aren't you?" He said, asking the other to sit back where they were.

"Think of me what you will, Will, but I'm not." Hannibal said, smiling as he moved his queen. "Check."

Will looked at the board, smiling as well. Hannibal didn't know if it was about what he said or what he did.

"I wouldn't be here if I didn't already think highly of you, Hannibal… or if I couldn't fix anything that you couldn't." He said, cocky. He moved his bishop. "Checkmate."

Will raised his head, proud of his move. He hoped to find an amused yet calm Hannibal, but he was met by dilated pupils, blush and Hannibal's tongue quickly passing on his lips. Will was paralyzed as Hannibal looked at him with absolute lust. 

He felt heat coming from his neck rising to his cheeks.

"I guess it would be weird if we didn't kiss right now." Will asked, looking at Hannibal's lips, unable to look again in his eyes.

Hannibal got up to get closer to Will. He was standing just over the other's chair.

"Is that what you think or is that what you want?" Hannibal asked, voice deep and rough.

Hannibal gently and carefully took Will's glasses to put them on the table, since he knew he only needed them to look far. Will's eyelashes fluttered. Hannibal put a firm hand on Will's chin so he would look at him in the eyes. His dark dark eyes. 

He wanted Will to say it. 

Will got up in the small space Hannibal left between him and the chair. He could only focus on the sound of their clothes rubbing against each other's fabrics. Just the sound, the sound and the heat was making Will crazy. 

"Will, I need an answer." Hannibal said, pushing the other to sit on the chair's arm.

  
  


"Is this some kind of revenge because-" Will said, trying to change the subject and really not think of where he was or Hannibal's hand close to his neck or how strongly he made him sit down. 

"Will." Hannibal whispered as his thumb made its way closer to the other man's larynx. He remembered the night where Will had folded under his touch. He remembered the sounds he made when Hannibal handled him.

As soon as he felt it, Will closed his eyes and shut his mouth. Nevertheless, Hannibal heard him moan and it pleased him instantly. Will's hands hardened around Hannibal's wrist to keep his balance.

"Hannibal. Stop playing." Will groaned. 

Hannibal let out a single smile before putting his nose in the crook of Will's neck before letting small kisses on the shivering skin, all the way to the other's welcoming mouth.


	10. Day Thirty-Two

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> There's a new serial killer in town and this time, they're targeting upper-class homosexual couples. How could Jack Crawford possibly solve that one? By putting his two best profilers in an undercover mission, of course.  
> AU. Undercover Hannigram, but of course, we know where that goes...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning: undeserved bashing of Billy Joel, a quote that I took directly from the show and excessive fluff. 
> 
> Sorry, guys, I know it's been a while, but I was *mentally unstable*, so I prioritized. :) But this is a whole meal and it's fluffy so I know a lot of yous will enjoy it! Please tell me if you liked it, I will take all the motivation I can get. :) Take care of yourselves and your friends.

Tension was high as the killer didn’t make any move in more than a month. Jack was tired of waiting and thought Hannibal and Will needed to be more visible, to be together at various places. Therefore, the ‘married couple’ had a whole day planned, courtesy of the FBI.

First, as soon as 10 am, they both had to be at the beach. The November weather was quite cold that day and the frigid wind made the waves crash in comforting overpowering sound. 

Even if it was a friday, only a few small groups could be seen on the beach and they were quickly coming back to their car. Hannibal expected Will to be against such a public activity, but the man was actually glowing in the bleak morning. Laying down on a towel, Will was wearing a coat, boots and a toque. So fully covered, he could appreciate the calming odor of the maritime air. Eyes closed, he felt pure, worry-free, peaceful. He gave a quick squeeze to Hannibal’s hand in his. 

Hannibal had actually gone for a swim earlier. How he tolerated the freezing water, Will didn’t know, but it felt nice to watch him, knowing he would go back to him once he finished. He hadn’t been someone’s… anything in a while. The more he lived with Hannibal, the more the profiler learned how his previous life had been lonely. Sure, he had his dogs and they did more for him than he could ever express, but to find someone waiting for you at home… someone you also looked forward to seeing, someone you could talk to, someone who saw you… it was an entirely different thing, something he hadn’t dared of dreaming before. 

Hannibal let down a small laugh and gave a squeeze back to Will’s hand. Will opened his eyes to look at him, an inevitable smile on his lips. 

The doctor was sitting down, reading one of his million books, one hand completely taken by Will’s and the other gracefully holding the book and turning the pages. Hannibal insisted on taking no hat and now his hair was a mess. Also, his shoes weren’t made for sand so he had them gently put on his own towel, same for his socks. Basically, Hannibal looked completely out of place and was shivering after his swim. 

Feeling Will’s gaze on him, Hannibal turned his page and put a bookmark in his book before carefully placing it by his shoes’ side. 

“Yes?”

“If I saw you everyday, forever, Hannibal, I would remember this time.”

Hannibal tried to hide the light in his eyes by looking down, a proper habit of etiquette, but he looked up quickly enough, much to Will’s satisfaction. In slow and heart-felt motion, Hannibal brought Will’s hand to his lips and kissed it. Hannibal couldn’t quite remember a time when he felt like this, but he recognized it, like a forgotten smell one has to relish in, abandoned by any memory that was left with it.

* * *

They then went to dine at a restaurant. Knowing Hannibal, Will should’ve known he would take him to the most posh restaurant in town. At least, it explained why Hannibal insisted on Will wearing a suit under his old, decrepit winter coat. There was even an employee to take their coats, although Hannibal insisted on taking off Will’s. 

At their table, the profiler kept looking around, uncomfortable in a crowded high-class environment. Still looking at his menu, Hannibal put his hand on Will’s without even looking up. 

“Have you decided on anything, Will?” Hannibal asked. Will was surprised he didn’t flinch at the contact, one he didn’t initiate. He looked at Hannibal’s wedding ring. “Mind if I chose for you, then?”

Just as Hannibal said it, a server came closer to get their order. Will barely had the time to nod before the doctor started ordering. He hardly listened, certain Hannibal would make the right choice, but the end did grab his attention.

“‘Wine’? Hannibal, it’s noon.”

“Yes, well, I don’t enjoy mimosas, Will, do you?” Hannibal said with sass.

Will swallowed a smile and shook his head. 

“Wine it is, then.” Hannibal exclaimed.

The server congratulated him on his choices for their diner and left. 

“It’s quite a beautiful restaurant, do you really think  _ he  _ could be here?”

“ _ He _ obviously passes well in rich circles or, at least, has access to them.” Hannibal said casually, dropping his head towards the direction their server took.

Will nodded, admitting Hannibal’s idea wasn’t so far-fetched or that self-serving.

They spoke in hushed voices, entertained by the other’s presence quite easily. They both were surprised when they finished their plates and waited for the receipt, which Will insisted on paying... knowing the Bureau would cover most of it. 

They were sharing their thoughts on the food they just ate, back in their car, when Will admitted:

“Everything was good, but I do seem to have developed a strong taste for  _ your  _ cuisine, Hannibal.” 

“I did hope you would.” Hannibal said with a bright smile. 

* * *

  
  


Will was pacing the thriller section, the only genre of books that really took his mind off, weirdly enough. He didn’t have the time to start fantasy books and wouldn’t pick Young Adult books with Hannibal just a few rows down. That being said, he wouldn’t really bore himself with a ‘classic’ either. If he really wanted to read a Dostoievsky, he’d do it on a nice summer vacation, not on a high-stake undercover mission. He was looking at a promising spy novel when he heard footsteps coming rapidly towards his direction. His heart missed a beat, but he moved to see who it was nevertheless. 

“Their ‘french section’, if it could even be called that, is appalling, Will. What are we doing here?” Hannibal moaned, looking annoyed. Will, letting go of his nervousness, put his hands on the shelves. "We could just go buy books in-"

"I don't want to buy them, Hannibal, I want to read them for a few weeks and then give them back."

Hannibal perceived the dry tone of Will as he let out big breaths, still leaning on the shelves. 

“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to startle you.” 

A woman came in the same row just as Will was shaking his head, wanting to apologize as well. Hannibal looked at her intensively, wanting to be alone but also proper in the public building. Will, seeing the conflict on Hannibal’s face, took his arm and guided him towards the reception to get his books checked out.

“Are you finished, you looked-?” Hannibal started, still looking annoyed in the direction of the woman.

“I’m done, don’t worry.” Will said as he looked at the pile of books he was carrying. 

They were at the check-out when Hannibal started having an interest in Will’s picks. There wasn’t a lot, but each seemed carefully chosen. A book on dog’s behaviour, a biography of an american spy, a popular thriller and a self-help book for drawing. Hannibal stopped as he saw it, putting a gentle hand on Will’s wrist, much to the library’s employee’s confusion. 

“Don’t make a big thing out of it, I just thought we could do it together. I’m far from being as good as you, but-” Will couldn’t even finish his sentence and, his body used to Hannibal’s affectionate invitation, he let the other man kiss him tenderly in front of a complete stranger. His neck, his hands, his lips, everything was so used to being kissed by him, he didn’t even think about it twice. 

Hannibal was still aware of his surroundings and how he could potentially look (although thinking of a disheveled Will in a public space excited him a lot, his position in the scenario forced his appropriate side to stop his desires) so he put a steady hand on Will’s shoulder. Will’s stronger hands held his neck tightly for just a minute more, testing the other’s resistance, and it was enough for Hannibal to quickly fall back into Will’s pleasing mouth, quick breath, sharp comfort. And just as he fell back again, Will pushed him away, licking a smirk off his lips. 

“Hum… Is that a ‘no’ for the receipt or…” The young employee asked, uncomfortable.

Hannibal only recovered once they reached the car in the parking lot. He was looking back at the building, trying to distract himself from his need for Will’s touch again. 

“This takes me back to my school days, a lifetime ago.” Hannibal said.

“And what a student you must have been.” Will chuckled, opening his door to place his books inside, but staying outside the car, looking at Hannibal with short breaths. “Hard to imagine you young, innocent.”

Hannibal looked at him with a playful smile. 

“I don’t believe ‘innocent’ would have best qualified me, back then.” Hannibal said, closing in to Will, seeing the other’s pupils dilate before him. 

“Care to elaborate, Doctor?” Will whispered, feeling Hannibal close to him and almost closing his eyes in relief.

“Maybe one day,  _ professor _ , but this is quite the public setting.” 

And Hannibal walked away to the driver’s door, a teasing smile on his lips. Will swore quietly before getting in the car.

* * *

  
  


It took everything in Will’s power to get Hannibal to come inside the Walmart. The doctor was deeply disgusted and kept looking at the floor, stained with dirty shoe prints of all sorts. Mere feets into the place, Will made the mistake of planning his visit out loud.

“Alright, so I need some clothes and-”

And that was everything he honestly had to say. In two seconds, Hannibal was literally dragging him outside as soon as he heard the word ‘clothes’ in this hell. Hannibal thanked the employee at the door, the one standing there, looking at them come and quit so suddenly, and kept grabbing Will’s sleeve hard enough to move him.

Will laughed until they were at Hannibal’s place of choice for the profiler’s clothing. It probably wasn’t as fancy as what Hannibal chose for himself, but he still felt incredibly uncomfortable as he left the shop with two sweaters, one jacket and a new pair of pants knowing the price would be completely absurd. Oh, and shoes Hannibal insisted on getting Will. 

“You better not pay for this, the Bureau can cover it.” 

“Consider it my Christmas gift, Will.” Hannibal said. Will sighed, annoyed by Hannibal’s weak excuse. “Would it help if I said seeing you in this is also a gift to myself?”

Will rolled his eyes.

“You’re incorrigible.” The profiler said, falling into Hannibal’s charismatic ploy.

It only made Hannibal smile, proud. He took the other’s hand in his as he walked back to the car.

* * *

All through the day, they received multiple side eyes, some smiles and, very rarely, a respectful nod. Even if Hannibal seemed unfazed by the neutral approval of others, Will was still confused by it. He knew that in  _ other _ places, it could be worse, but still… He hadn't expected… such indifference. To say he was 'grateful' would be largely pushing it, but still, it did calm him a bit. 

They were at their last stop, an ice cream shop, when Will recognized Kennedy from work. He didn't say anything because why would he, but when she did recognize him, she had to say hi. 

Of course that meant a solid half hour of small talk. And yet, Will didn't seem to mind. Hannibal looked at him closely, having the spare time to, since all their conversations revolved around the dog shelter. The doctor looked at Will, looked at their hands, one in the other, and the other's features… relaxed. Almost happy. He could barely keep his eyes off him, from this pure sight which wasn't given to him often. It was beautiful.

That was before a man Hannibal hadn't seen before joined the conversation. Actually, he didn't see him coming, he saw Will's jaw tightened and his eyes getting lower. Will even let their hands go, pretending to replace his glasses, simply to block his vision. He never took Hannibal's after. 

Hannibal didn't need to know more, he wanted this man gone. But for that, he needed information. 

"I'm quite sorry, I didn't catch your name?" Hannibal asked, talking for the first time since the conversation started. 

"... and I got two at home, you know… it's Tristan… and I saw you with dogs, I'm sure you'd know what's wrong. Shelby stopped eating and…" The new man said, not even looking in Hannibal’s eyes, focused on Will's fleeing ones instead. 

And this, this perseverance to see Will, to  _ make _ him watch him, that's what made Hannibal sure. This man was graceless. 

Yet, it didn't feel like his usual resolution, his general acceptance of the inferiority of humans. This was worse. This had thorns and heat. His hands tightened and he could feel his body get ready for a fight he knew he couldn't start.

He thought of taking back Will's hand and simply walking away, no matter how interested or radiant he looked, talking to Tristan and Kennedy. He wanted him back in  _ their  _ house with his eyes on  _ him _ . 

He technically knew the feeling, he wasn't stupid, he was a psychiatrist for fuck's sake. He just never thought he could be jealous before. Urges of violence seemed to dangerously outweigh his need for decorum and control.

And then Tristan passed a slow hand on Will's arm, making the profiler back up out of fear. Of course, Hannibal was right behind him and the doctor put a firm hand around Will's waist to steady him. Will's cold hand reached for Hannibal's, his eyes now locked on the ground out of shame. 

"I'm sorry, I-" Tristan started. 

"It's fine, I'm-" Will cut him.

"We were just going." Hannibal cut them both. "We have to feed Winston, poor thing." He extended a hand to Kennedy and Kennedy only. "Pleasure meeting you."

They were walking back to their car when Will brutally let go of the other's hand, even if he was still trembling slightly. 

"I don't need your help! I'm not some damsel in distress you get to patronize just because I'm not adequately equipped for social interactions."

Hannibal buckled his seatbelt as he let out a sigh.

"You walked right into me, held my hand and stopped talking, Will. I was going to intervene, no matter what."

"I- Yes- But I feel like such a… And you're always…" Will passed a hand on his face and Hannibal could see glimpses of the old Will, always hiding for survival.

Hannibal placed his hand on the other's tight and rubbed it affectionately. He didn't say a word. He knew that Will wouldn't believe him or would feel worse if he told him he enjoyed all of Will, no matter what. So he kept touching him lightly throughout their way back, hoping it would remind Will that he wasn't alone.

* * *

“Are you really bringing Kant to evaluate if our day was enjoyable? How elitist can you be?” Will laughed, giving food to Winston, but most importantly, petting him until his fur was disheveled. 

“I thought it relevant.” Hannibal whispered, getting their diner he made earlier out of the fridge.

“Yeah, next thing, you’ll bring Burke just to add that it wasn’t quite ‘sublime’.”

“It would be a fair point nonetheless.” 

“You could just say that you didn’t like talking to Kennedy and Tristan. You won’t get a better grade for name dropping.” Will laughed.

“I didn’t not like talking to her, I didn’t like talking to him.” Hannibal said firmly.

Will nodded, agreeing silently. They quickly ate their dinner, and, as Will learned that they still had one place to go, they debated on who should drive to their last place on their itinerary. The exact location was a surprise for Will so his whole argument was dismantled quite easily.

“It’s far, maybe you should get some sleep.” Hannibal said, starting the car slowly so that Winston, in the back, wouldn’t fall from the seat. 

“With your classical opera music playing? Not a chance. It’s more likely to give me a heart attack than an energizing nap.” Will smiled, trying to get Winston to lie down.

It made Hannibal smile, calmed himself for the first time since their stop at the ice cream shop. 

“And what do you recommend?” Will just chuckled, looking ahead. “Well you’ve piqued my interest, Will, there’s no turning back. What music would you put on?”

Will just tried to not look panicked, but he felt the blush rising to his cheeks. 

They barely made it to the third song, when Will completely fell asleep on Billy Joel’s  _ The Stranger _ . Hannibal was relieved, he wanted the surprise to last until the last second. But, this basically meant he had to listen to Billy Joel for more than an hour, scared that his ‘usual’ music would actually wake Will up. The third time the album started, Hannibal was starting to lose his mind and, thankfully, they were arriving. He immediately shut down the volume, letting out a heavy sigh at the delightful silence. 

The car, slowing down, and the sudden lack of sound woke Will up. Winston, in the back, was almost jumping out of enthusiasm. When he saw where they were, Will didn’t say anything, he didn’t move. 

“We can’t be here. What if he followed us, what if…”

“I used four different routes and no one followed me. If anyone asks, we’re in this state because there’s a concert for AIDS tonight. I booked us a hotel room just to cover our tracks.” Hannibal quietly said, unbuckling himself and Will as well. Winston was whining in the back.

Will finally turned his eyes to look at Hannibal. 

“This is too much.” He whispered.

“If I had the same thing in my life, you’d do it for me too.” 

Something in Will unlocked, a kind of wall, and his inhibitions fell down. Gently, he brought a hand to cup Hannibal’s jaw and looking into his delighted eyes, closed the distance and strongly pressed his lips to Hannibal’s.

“Thank you.” Will said between forceful kisses, his eyes wet.

Hannibal’s eyes quickly rose to a point behind Will and the profiler actually jumped when Alana, which he most certainly didn’t see before, knocked on his window. She was looking everywhere else than in the car, meaning that she did see everything happening a second ago. Not knowing what to do, Will opened the door. 

Alana was shivering, a mere autumn’s coat on. Snow was falling and her hair was already wet. Will couldn’t tell if her blush was caused by the low temperature or what she just saw.

“I fed them and they’re all waiting in the house. I took the liberty of starting the heat, it was freezing inside.” She said.

Hannibal got out of the car, confident as he always was.

“Thank you. We’ll be gone by noon tomorrow.”

She looked at him with bitterness, but turned to Will instead of snapping at the doctor.

“Don’t tell Jack, this can’t go on record.” She said firmly before whispering to Will. “And you don’t have to pretend tonight.”

Will knew what she meant but it still felt like some sort of shaming in his mind. He realized he didn’t want the ‘pretending’ to stop. Still, he nodded and thanked her, waiting for her to head home.

As she went back into her own car, a bit further towards the house, and completely went away, Will really took the time to look at his home. He could hear the sound of multiple excited paws jumping on his floorboard inside. He smiled, again, not knowing how to act in this situation. 

He released Winston who ran immediately to the front door to sniff the other dogs. Walking towards his house, Will looked back to see Hannibal who looked at him with bright eyes. 

“You’re gonna stand outside in the snow all night, Hannibal? C’mon!” He let out, overjoyed. 

At the sound of his voice, the dogs started yapping and it made him laugh of happiness. He opened the door, it was like a wall of fur hit him. 

* * *

  
  


They were both in Will’s bed and even if he had insisted on Hannibal sleeping in the bed, the profiler had to admit it felt awkward. He had slept with Hannibal for more than a month, but this was  _ his  _ bed.  _ His  _ home. He wondered what it would be like to sleep at Hannibal’s. He must have the most comfortable bed and the greatest water pressure, Will thought. 

Hannibal finally came back with a glass of water and layed down again, removing the sheets to get in with discernable aversion for the simple cotton of the material. Will decided to come closer, knowing that if he didn’t do it now, he wouldn’t do it at all. He put his arms around Hannibal’s stomach, and quietly enjoyed the contact between his cheek and Hannibal’s nacked shoulder. His heart was beating so fast. He was scared Hannibal would move away now that they didn’t need to ‘act’.

“So how does it feel to be covered in fur and dust?” Will asked, trying to ease the tension.

“Humbling.” Hannibal said, putting a hand on Will’s, turning his head to breathe Will’s hair as he so often did before sleeping in the past days. Will felt a ton of worry leave his body. He laughed and thought how easier it was to laugh with someone he knew so well and saw so often. “And you?”

“Feels like home.” Whether that included or excluded Hannibal in the definition, even Will wasn’t sure about that. “Thank you. It’s… Why… You didn’t have to do all that. You don’t have to look out for me.” He whispered in the silence of the night.

“Do you  _ need  _ to look out for your dogs?” Hannibal’s question shocked Will. “I know what those dogs mean to you Will, don’t change the subject by pretending that we both don’t.”

It left Will in thoughts for some minutes.

“Okay.” Will finally said.

“‘Okay’?” Hannibal wasn’t mad, he was actually surprised Will answered him.

“I can’t say that I think of you as a dog, Hannibal, maybe just not yet, but if that’s how you… feel, then okay. And thank you, again.”

It left a silence even deeper. Will was still in thoughts and Hannibal was falling into a blissful sleep after driving all day, when a dog - Buster - jumped on the bed, on Will’s side. Hannibal let out a moan and looked at Will as if to say ‘what are you going to do about that?’. Before Will could say anything, a second dog jumped on the bed, making Will laugh at the situation.

“If a third gets on, William, I…” Hannibal started before being cut by Will.

“Then I guess I’ll have to squeeze closer to you, won’t I? Oh, sorry, isn’t it what you were going to say, Doctor?” Will said, coy.

“Oh, this is how you want to play this?” 

“Maybe.”

A third finally got on the bed.

“Harley, don’t step on Buster!” Will warned, trying to control them.

“And what if a fourth one gets in?” Hannibal suggested, smiling.

“Oh, aren’t you glad I have so many dogs, now?” Will smiled, basically laying on Hannibal. The blonde man smiled, eyes closing from sleepiness and the nice feeling of Will on him.

After a few minutes, a quiet snore resonated in the room. His eyes closed and his mind half-asleep, Will said:

“Sorry, that’s Max.”

But the snore was a bit too loud for it to be Max, who was by Hannibal’s side of the bed. Will opened one eye only to see Hannibal, mouth open, snore, fast asleep. Will smiled as he brought his head back on the other’s shoulder. 


End file.
